To the Twelfth
by 27vampyresinhermind
Summary: When Puck figured out that he wanted to date Rachel again, he knew it wouldn't be easy. But he knew it'd be worth it. Features Puckleberry, Pezberry friendship. M rating for a reason. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: Hello everybody! I couldn't let too much time pass between fics. People might forget about me or something and I just couldn't stand for that to happen. This is my new multi-chapter fic! The prompt for this came from ****truelovepooh**** and I am so honored to finally be working on it. This will forever be dedicated to you bb! I've had it sitting on my computer, just waiting on Chase the Morning to get finished so I could actually devote my time to it properly. This story definitely won't be as long as Chase the Morning, but I hope it will go over with everyone just as well. I really can't thank everyone enough for the support you've always given me in the past and I hope that you'll continue it with this story. I don't own Glee. Please enjoy To The Twelfth!**

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><p>The notes flowed easily as he played through the music in his head. It wasn't until he'd made it all the way through the song that he realized what song he'd been playing. It was the song that Rachel had sung that day in glee club.<p>

Puck had seen her perform a lot over the years that he'd known her but not one performance had really compared to the latest one. When Rachel had gotten up and announced that she was going to sing "Touch Me" from _Spring Awakening_, he'd sat up a little straighter in his seat. The assignment had been to tastefully push boundaries, and he couldn't think of anyone who'd done it better than her. The freedom that had shown in her eyes during that song somehow made her voice even better, which he honestly didn't think was possible.

It sort of hit him right there, how much Rachel had been on his mind lately. They'd become friends shortly after he'd picked the wrong time of the month to break up with Lauren and she ended up throwing him up against a couple of lockers. Rachel found out about it and showed up at his house that afternoon with 'I'm Sorry Your Ex-Girlfriend Kicked Your Ass' cookies. She made a joke about how she seemed to have a habit of using the word _ass_ around him and they'd been pretty close ever since. But now, it was like his brain just kept returning to her, even when he didn't intend for it to, like when he was just playing his guitar in his room and the song he was playing happened to be the one she'd performed that afternoon! There was no doubt about it. Rachel Berry was on his mind far too often to be just a friend. It's not like he was constantly remembering Santana's favorite foods, or Brittany's favorite weird animal hat, or even Finn's favorite pair of drumsticks, and they were all his friends. But Rachel was different from his other friends. He didn't have an urge to make out with his other friends every time he saw them.

But he wanted to do more than just make out with her. He wanted to hold her hand in the hallway, walk her to class, take her out to the movies, really _date_ her. Puck knew that she would take some convincing, seeing as how even though it'd been months since he'd caught her staring longingly at Finn, he wasn't totally sure she was over his stupid ass. It wasn't like that was something he'd asked about and it wasn't information she volunteered. He was just going to have to find out. And once he did, it was _on_.

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><p>"You're totally over Hudson, right?" Rachel looked up at Noah beside her with wide eyes. She was at her locker, changing out her books for her classes after lunch when he'd walked up.<p>

"Well hello Noah, it's nice to see you too. My day is going just fine, thank you for asking." He rolled his eyes at her and waited until she closed her locker.

"Why can't you just answer my questions instead of focusing on the stupid formalities that I skip over? We're together all the time. I'm pretty sure we've made it past the whole 'good day milady' thing, right? Just answer my question Rachel. Are you over Finn or not?" Rachel stuttered for a moment, trying to figure out where he could possibly be going with this particular line of questioning. When he was still standing there waiting for an answer a few seconds later, she answered.

"It's been almost a year since Finn and I were together Noah. I can honestly say that I harbor no feelings other than friendship towards him. Besides, Santana has been exceptionally helpful in making me see his less than perfect qualities." The satisfied smirk on his face confused her just slightly but she asked, "Why do you want to know anyway?" Rachel found herself backed up fully against the row of lockers as he moved in front of her, his hand resting just next to her head against the cold metal, close enough that she could feel his wrist brushing against her hair. She was use to his lack of respect for personal space. It was usually something that he used as an intimidation tactic, such as when he _coerced_ Jacob Ben-Israel to leave her alone, or when he just wanted to get his way with her. Seeing no evidence of intimidation on his face, just a playful grin on his lips, Rachel took a deep breath.

"Because I prefer to date girls who aren't into other guys. Since I've made that mistake a couple other times in the past, I figured I'd make sure first." Rachel stared at him for a moment, working through his words, and then started laughing out loud.

"That's funny Noah, now come on or we'll be late for lunch." Rachel ducked under his arm and started walking down the hall towards the cafeteria. Puck stood there for a minute, trying to figure why that plan had just crashed and burned. By the time he caught up with her, she was walking through the doors to the cafeteria headed towards the gleek table. When she sat down in her usual spot next to Santana with the lunch she'd brought from home, he plopped down next to her.

He knew that he wouldn't get a straight answer out of her until he got her alone again and convinced her that he wasn't joking so he resigned to stealing her carrot sticks when she wasn't looking.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get her alone until after glee that day. He waited until everyone left the choir room, stalling by stacking chairs, and walked over to her as she was straightening up her sheet music.

"Go out with me." Hey, nobody could accuse him of beating around the bush. The look on her face was between annoyance and surprise, but leaning a bit more towards annoyed than he liked.

"Quit it Noah, the joke has run its course and," he put his hand over her mouth to shut her up.

"Not joking Rach, we should date again. I'm dead serious, I've been thinking about it a lot lately and I decided that we're good together." Rachel nodded her head and waited for him to remove his hand.

"Exactly, we're good together as friends. Attempting to be more would just ruin what we have. You're one of my closest friends Noah. I trust you, and while I would have to say that Santana is surprisingly most likely my best friend, you are an exceptionally close second in that hierarchy. I can't mess with that. I'm sorry Noah, but you and I should just stay friends. I think it would be better for everyone involved." And as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she gathered her things and walked quickly out of the choir room.

He watched her leave. Puck had known it wouldn't be easy to convince her. But he honestly hadn't expected to be completely shot down. Fuck that was a little harsh though. When he thought about it, he could sort of understand why she'd refused. Rachel was afraid of messing with what they had because she wasn't sure of the outcome. Well Puck had amazing powers of persuasion.

Once Rachel made it to her car, she took a couple deep breaths but that didn't help to assuage the clenching feeling in her chest. She took her phone out and dialed the first number that came to her mind.

"Didn't I _just_ see you in glee?"

"Santana this is important. Where are you?" Rachel heard Santana laugh but answered,

"I'll meet you at your house. Be there in a few." Confident that Santana would know what to do, she put her phone away and headed home.

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><p>"Santana I really must insist that you stop laughing. It isn't funny in the slightest." Her caveat fell on deaf ears as Santana clutched her sides from giggling so much.<p>

"_Tu no sabes_, it's hilarious! Puck wants to date you and you're freaking out about it. Please tell me what part of that isn't funny. From where I'm sitting, it's hysterical! It's about damn time as far as I'm concerned." Rachel stopped her pacing to look at the girl on her bed.

"Yes I'm freaking out about it! Why shouldn't I? Noah is the first boy that I've completely trusted in a long time, the first one that I didn't feel was just after something. The two of you are the first _real_ friends I've really ever had and now he's trying to screw that up! I believe that is perfectly substantial grounds for a freak out!" Santana, still laughing though she was at least making an effort to stop, stood up and walked over to Rachel. Rachel quickly found herself pushed down on her bed as Santana stood in front of her.

"Alright Berry, from what you told me, Puck really wants to date you. Not sure if you realize this but, that never happens. Puck generally just wants to get laid. It sounds to me like he's trying to make an effort, something he hasn't done since Zizes and the moron thought he was in love with her at the time." Rachel's phone started ringing and both girls stared at it for a moment. It was Noah's ringtone. Santana laughed again and handed Rachel her phone whispering, "Put it on speaker." Rachel did as she was told and answered the phone.

"Hello Noah," she greeted.

"Have you come up with a pros and cons list of dating me yet?" Santana put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing again and Rachel replied,

"I'm working on it actually." He laughed at that.

"Well let me save you some time. Just say you'll date me. Then you can forget about that list and problem solved. I promise it'll be all pros anyway Rach. Come on." The convincing lilt in his voice wasn't helping anything. Doing her best to ignore the way her heart had sped up and the way Santana had moved completely on the other side of the room to keep from letting a giggle slip, Rachel looked back at her phone.

"Why do you want to date me again all of a sudden Noah?" She noticed that Santana suddenly seemed interested in what he might say to that question.

"Because I realized that I like you Rachel. Pretty sure I have for a little while now but that's not important. What is important, and what should be enough, is that I like you and I'm pretty sure that you like me too. At least a little bit. So, is it enough Rachel?" Santana made an 'aww' sound and promptly covered her mouth with her hand, hoping that Puck hadn't heard her. Rachel couldn't really blame her for the sound though, she kind of wanted to make it for herself.

"I need to think about it Noah. This is something that could drastically alter our relationship. Just give me a little time. Is that okay?" She heard him groan and knew she was trying his patience but she honestly couldn't see herself jumping into this without proper preparation.

"Yeah it's cool Rach. Fair warning though, I'm not gonna quit until you say yes so you might wanna make you mind up pretty quick alright?" Rachel couldn't help the smile on her face as she listened to him, so sure of himself but with a tinge of hopefulness lingering on the edge of his words.

"I will give it serious thought and consideration Noah." He laughed at her choice of words, always choosing the sentence with more letters than point.

"Alright. Hey Santana!" Santana gasped when he said her name, wondering how he knew she was there, despite the fact that she was almost always there now. "Be my wing-woman, help me out here! You know you're on my side." He laughed and didn't wait for her to answer. "I'll see you tomorrow Rachel." The line clicked dead as he hung up and Rachel looked at Santana for a moment.

"Well? Are you on his side? Do you think I should date Noah? You realize that if anything were to go wrong, it would have devastating effects on our group dynamic, not to mention unbearable tension and drama it could cause in glee club that we certainly don't need to add." Santana then shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but do you realize that the last time you two actually dated, you were both so hung up on other people that you never even gave it a fair shot? And every single time you guys have made out or done anything since then, it was because of other people. Just once, it should be about Puck and Rachel, nobody else. Maybe what the two of you needed was to be friends first, so it could actually have a chance to grow into something more. I'm not gonna lie and say that it's impossible for something to go wrong, because let's be honest here, it's Puck we're talking about. But just think about it going right."

Rachel had thought about it going right. She could remember how it felt to be in his arms, to feel so protected and not just because of the muscle he brought into the equation. More than once, she'd caught herself staring at his mouth when he would sing in glee club, or even when he spoke. Santana was right. Perhaps, becoming friends first had given them that needed edge to make a relationship really work. But that niggling feeling at the back of her mind kept telling her not to fix something if it wasn't broken.

"I understand what you're saying Santana but what if, what if something happens and we can't go back to being friends? The two of you are the closest friends I've ever had and I would absolutely die if I lost either one of you. If something happened between Noah and I that ruined our friendship, I could never forgive myself." Santana sat down on the edge of the bed and laughed softly.

"Slow your roll drama queen. We're talking a couple dates here, not a marriage proposal. Look, I can almost guarantee you that nothing can happen in just a few dates that could ruin the friendship or whatever. And can you honestly tell me, knowing that Puck likes you, that your friendship hasn't already changed a little bit? You both like each other, so what's the harm in seeing if that could turn into something more?" Rachel gave Santana a small smile, knowing that her friend was remembering when she'd thrown her own heart on the fire only to be burned. She'd taken that chance at love and been shot down, yet somehow she'd healed and still managed to believe in love, in the risk it presented. Santana wasn't the same girl she'd been that day when she'd poured her soul out to Brittany only to have it crushed in the same breath, and for that Rachel was thankful. Because the girl she'd become after that day, _that_ girl was her best friend.

"You're absolutely right. I like Noah and there's no sense in hiding it when I know that he likes me too. And a couple of dates shouldn't be that bad. If we decide that we're better off as friends, then we can just go back to being friends and nobody gets hurt." Rachel smiled and picked her phone up, ready to call Noah back and tell him her decision. So it surprised her when Santana grabbed her phone out of her hand.

"Whoa, what do you think you're doing," she asked her, keeping the phone just out of Rachel's grasp when she reached for it.

"I was going to call Noah and inform him of my choice. You're on his side anyway so please return my phone Santana." Santana held the phone even farther away when Rachel lunged for it again.

"I may be on his side but that doesn't mean I don't want to see him sweat it out just a little bit. You're decision isn't gonna change from now until you see him at school tomorrow, is it?" Rachel shook her head and looked longingly at her phone. "Alright then, if you tell him now, you know he's going to be walking around all day tomorrow with this smug little look on his face. But if you wait to tell him, he'll be on pins and needles all day just waiting for your answer. And nothing makes me happier than seeing that boy squirm." When she was positive that Rachel had agreed with her, Santana handed her phone back to her. Rachel still looked at her phone like her fingers were just burning to dial that number but she didn't.

"So I wait until school tomorrow to tell him." Santana grinned, winning was the best and few people did it as often as she.

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><p>Puck was starting to get a little worried. He'd met Rachel at her locker that morning, hoping that she'd give him her answer. But when he'd asked her about it, she gave him this smile that he just knew Santana had to be at the bottom of, and told him that she was still weighing her options. He knew that she'd already made her decision, hell she'd probably made it as soon as they'd gotten off the phone the night before. Santana was totally behind this, this making him wait for the answer. The downside of Rachel and Santana being friends was that they usually teamed up against him. It didn't really bother him that much when it was something like video games, which he could smoke their asses at blindfolded. But when it was something that actually mattered, like whether or not he got to date Rachel, the vagina loyalty needed to fuck itself.<p>

He figured it couldn't hurt to keep trying. If Rachel hadn't decided yet, then he could still butter her up a little. But if she had decided, Puck was going to do everything in his power to make sure that decision was the right one.

They didn't have glee that day so Puck rushed out of his last class to get to her locker before her. He'd made the stupid grand gestures in the past, but Rachel needed something more suited to her, something he'd never done before. He'd originally planned on writing this big long note to her detailing all the reasons she should go on at least one date with him. But, everything that he could come up just sounded stupid or wrong. So he settled on one word written in huge block letters across the page.

Just as Puck was folding up the note to stuff into her locker, Rachel rounded the corner and saw him. When she called out to him, he gave up and crumpled the note into his palm.

"Noah, I'm sorry." Well fuck, that wasn't how he wanted her to start this conversation. His shoulders slumped.

"Don't be. It's not over. I'm not gonna quit until you say yes Rach." Rachel looked up at him, slightly confused at his demeanor and then realized how he'd taken her words.

"That's not what I'm apologizing for. Against my better judgment, I was informed that it would be better to make you wait. But in doing so, I actually managed to make myself more anxious and you seem to be a little belligerent now. For that, I'm sorry. But my answer is yes, I would love to go on a date with you Noah. I should have just called you last night like I wanted to but Santana insisted that I make you wait for my answer." Rachel watched him run his hand over his head and felt terrible. "You don't completely hate me now, do you?" Puck just grinned at her and pulled her into a hug.

"Couldn't if I tried Rachel." She sighed in his arms and he sort of wanted to jump around a little bit. But instead, he pulled away and smirked at her. Rachel smiled back at him and turned to open her locker. That's when she remembered what he'd been doing at her locker in the first place.

"Noah, what were you trying to put in my locker?" The guilty look that replaced his smirk made her laugh and she glanced down at his hand to see a piece of paper sticking out. "Is that it in your hand?" She reached down but he clenched his fist tighter.

"It's just a note. Not important now anyway. You said yes." Rachel narrowed her eyes and held her hand out in front of her.

"I'd really like to see it Noah." Her voice was soft but demanding at the same time, and like every other time she'd ever used that voice on him, he did whatever she said. Reluctantly, he held the ball of paper out for her to take. Before she could unravel it, he put his hand over hers and said,

"Just so you know, I was starting to think you'd say no so I was trying to make a gesture. It's stupid." Rachel nodded and gently pulled the paper out of the ball he'd wrapped it in. She gasped a little when she saw what he'd written. Her eyes were warm when she looked back up at him.

"It's not stupid at all Noah. It's actually very sweet." Puck rubbed the back of his neck and ducked his head just a little.

"Yeah well, that's me I guess." Rachel smiled at him and he stood a little straighter. "So I guess I'll call you tonight and we can set the date then. Is that cool with you?"

"That's perfect Noah. Don't you have to pick up Dani from school today?" His eyes widened. After everything that day, he'd forgotten about his little sister.

"Oh shit yeah. I gotta go. I'm gonna call you tonight though, I promise." Rachel watched him leave and then looked down at the paper in her hands.

It was just a sheet of notebook paper, the word 'PLEASE' written on it in huge letters that covered the whole page, but it was possibly the sweetest letter she'd ever received. She quickly turned the dial to open her locker, moved some magnets around until she had room on the door, and attached the note to the metal so she would see it every day. Her first love letter from Noah. She kind of hoped it wouldn't be the last.

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><p><strong>an2: against my better judgment, I've decided that I will leave the anonymous reviews enabled. I reply, or at least try to reply, to every single review I receive. Now with the anons, I of course can't reply to them but I still read them and take them to heart. So, if you enjoyed the story, if you didn't, please review and let me know your thoughts. Whatever they may be. Thank you! Hearts!**

**Meagan (musicconsumes)**


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: Hi everyone! First off, I'll apologize for the obscene wait that you've had to endure for this. I live in Alabama and I don't know if you've seen or anything but we've recently had a huge string of tornados come through my state. They caused a lot of destruction and deaths, a lot of pain for a lot of people and thousands of lives affected. I actually had this chapter almost finished the Wednesday before the storms hit but then it all hit and power was lost, it was just a big huge mess. Finding internet has been harder than usual because of the electricity problems so that's actually caused a lot of trouble. I want to thank everyone for the response to the first chapter! It totally blew me away and I still can't actually believe it. I can't say it enough, I have the best readers ever! So here it is! I don't own Glee…**

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><p>"Okay Rachel, calm down. It's just Noah. He's just your friend, a friend you're going on a date with, a friend who happens to be <em>Noah<em>. Oh god what have I done?" Rachel stared at her reflection in the mirror. Giving herself a pep-talk wasn't working in the slightest and she resorted to banging her hands on the sink's counter instead. Physical violence had never appealed to her quite as much as right then.

She walked out of her bathroom and sat down on the bed, hating that she didn't have a clue as to what she'd gotten herself into. Noah was her friend, but he was also a boy. A boy who, in his past and present, had his choice of women and girls but now had his sights set on her. Rachel would be the first to admit that she'd been teetering on the edge of her feelings where Noah was concerned for some time. There had always been something between them, ever since they became friends, that hinted at a deeper meaning. But she had few people in her life that truly held her trust and the last thing she wanted was to rock that boat. She'd had enough awkwardness in past relationships to last a lifetime and one thing her friendship with Noah had never been was awkward. They had always just found each other, without really trying. Being friends with him, once he let her in, was almost easier than being friends with Santana.

With a groan, she flopped back on her bed and stared up at her ceiling. She thought about the last time he'd been in her bed. That thought process only made her consider how many other beds Noah had probably been in. His experience with women and girls was supposedly vast so she started to wonder how that would work. Rachel knew that her body was ready for sex. That warm tingly feeling she got every time she imagined Noah without a shirt on (which happened far more times than she'd ever admit to) was enough to attest to that. But emotionally, well that was an entirely different story.

A light bulb went off in Rachel's mind in that moment and she sat straight up. Perhaps if she did a little research, she wouldn't feel so in the dark on the subject. With a smile, Rachel walked over to her desk and fired up her laptop. It shouldn't be difficult to find the information she was looking for and then she would be prepared for her date with Noah.

Simple as that.

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><p>Puck pulled up in the Berry driveway with two minutes to spare. He'd sped just a little getting across town but if his mom would've shut up for two seconds and let him get out the door that wouldn't have had to happen. It wasn't until he got up to the door that he realized he probably should've gotten flowers. God this was stupid.<p>

He knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. He totally didn't expect the big black daddy Berry to answer the door instead though.

"Well hello Noah. It's nice to see you again. Come on in. Rachel will be down in just a second." Puck froze for a second before finally stepping over the threshold into the house. It wasn't that he was scared of Rachel's dads, it was just that she had _two_ so they were literally twice as intimidating. "So, where are you kids going tonight? Rachel said something about dinner but I don't believe she said anything else." Puck looked toward the stairs, willing Rachel to come down.

"Um, I did some research and found this vegan restaurant over in Ada because I thought Rachel would probably be a little more comfortable eating there. I was gonna take her there for dinner but I didn't tell her where we were going." David Berry chuckled as Puck shifted on his feet, somewhat nervous.

"Surprising her huh? She'll like that. Nathan and I tried the whole vegan thing when Rachel first started it, trying to be supportive, but whoever created that tofu they try to pass off as chicken should be incarcerated." Puck felt a little more at ease since David wasn't giving him the third degree.

"Yeah but the last time a couple of us hung out here, Rachel warmed up some eggplant parmesan she had made or something and it was pretty good. I figure if this place has that, I'll live. My mom always made me and Dani eat our vegetables when we were little so I guess it's not so bad." David smiled and started to say something but Puck heard Rachel behind him.

"Daddy why didn't you tell me Noah was here? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Noah. I couldn't really decide what to do with my hair." Puck noticed that it was straighter than usual and pulled back in a ponytail, her bangs framing her eyes.

"Oh I just got here so it's not that bad. You ready to go?" Just then Nathan, her other dad, came down the stairs.

"Princess you forgot your purse." Nathan was a little shorter than David with thinning hair (nice way of saying pretty much bald) and glasses on his face. Both men looked like they worked out or something so that just added to the intimidation factor. Rachel turned around and grabbed her purse from her dad before kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks dad. Okay Noah, let's go." Rachel stepped forward to grab his hand but her dad cleared his throat.

"Noah, we know it isn't a school night but we would appreciate it if you had our girl home at decent hour. Sound fair?" Puck nodded his head quickly and replied,

"Yes sir, that sounds great. Don't worry, I'll make sure she stays out of trouble." Rachel released an indignant gasp before slapping Puck on the arm. Nathan laughed and looked over Puck's shoulder to David.

"We'll pretend I believe that," Nathan joked. He kissed Rachel's cheek and said, "Alright, you two better get going. Have fun."

Once Puck shut his truck door, Rachel looked over at him and smiled.

"So, are we going to the movies or something?" Puck turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the driveway. He waited a few minutes to answer.

"We're going to Ada." Rachel wrinkled her nose and tried to figure out why he was taking her to the little town. "And quit trying to figure out why. You'll see when we get there." She huffed but didn't say anything else. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she recognized the song playing softly on the radio and reached over to turn up the volume. Puck reached out at the same time, to turn up the volume as well, and their fingers touched.

"Noah, is this going to be weird for you?" Puck looked away from the road for a second to shoot her an annoyed look.

"Hell no. We're gonna have a good time, nothing weird about that. I want to date you Rachel, can't really do that without going on some dates. Why, is it weird for you?" Rachel smiled and bit her lip.

"I thought it would be at first. But now that I'm in the vehicle with you, it's not really strange at all. Just different. I do like you Noah, and if we could possibly become more than friends, I'd want that." Puck grinned and reached across the seat, quickly dragging her hand back to the middle and interlacing their fingers.

"Good."

Rachel looked down at their hands and watched as he rubbed his thumb over her hand. His hand in hers felt really nice. She couldn't deny that it felt natural. Just being around him was natural. Being friends with him was easy and it never felt forced, so dating him shouldn't be any different. The added benefits alone would be worth it. Rachel wasn't blind, she could plainly see the perfection sitting beside her. But she'd always known he was more than just his looks. He was honest, sometimes painfully so but the same could be said for her. Despite the fact that he tried to hide it often, he was very family-oriented. There wasn't anything he wouldn't try to do for his mother and sister. She loved him deeply as a friend. It was easy to imagine that blossoming into something else.

Rachel looked out the window as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot and stared in surprise. She'd heard about the place being in Cincinnati but she had no clue it was in Ada too.

"_Paradise_ _Found_? Noah how did you even know about this place? _I_ didn't even know it was here in Ada." Puck smiled, proud of himself for successfully surprising her.

"Well, you're not the only one who can research shit. I looked up vegan restaurants around Lima and this place popped up. I remembered you said something about the one in Cincinnati once so I thought it'd be good to try this one out. They just opened a few weeks ago apparently." The smile on Rachel's face faltered, like she was about to cry or something. "Hey whoa what's going on? I thought you'd like it here." Rachel squeezed his hand and shook her head.

"I do Noah. It's just coming as a surprise really. I never expected you to look for a vegan restaurant just for me." His forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Well I wasn't gonna force you to eat meat or let you go hungry like an asshole. Taking you out for dinner kinda means you have to _eat_ Rachel." She smiled and sniffed back the tear threatening to fall.

"No one has ever really made the effort before. All the other dates I've ever been on, I would just order a salad or something. But you brought me to a vegan restaurant for our date and I think that's amazing Noah. Thank you so much." Puck breathed a sigh of relief before leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

"I'm just cool like that. Now come on, I'm starving." Rachel laughed and they both got out, resuming their hand-holding until they got inside.

The chick standing at the little greeters' podium had dreadlocks pulled up into a giant bun thing on top of her head that kind of looked like a crown made of hair and a couple hoops through one of her eyebrows. She was really pretty. Her nametag said 'Mischa' which sounded pretty cool. When she smiled at them, Puck moved his arm around Rachel's hip and pulled her a little closer.

"Party of two," she asked and Puck nodded. "Would you like a table or a booth?" Rachel looked up at Puck and giggled.

"Whatever you have available will be fine. Thank you." Mischa looked down at the little chart on the top of the podium and marked on it with a pen.

"Alright, just follow me to your table then." Puck noticed Rachel hopped just a little bit as she started to walk after the hostess. Girl was excited about the place.

As they sat down and waited for their waiter to come, Rachel looked around. It was a small restaurant but she liked it. It wasn't too full of people but it seemed to be doing pretty good business. There was a small fountain close to their table and she had to fight the urge to throw a penny and make a wish. Greenery and plants were all around them, much of it real and the entire restaurant smelled wonderful.

"How are you two tonight?" She looked up and saw their waiter, a boy who looked a little older than them with dark spiky hair. He smiled down at them and sat their menus down in front of them. "I'm Joey and I'll be your waiter this evening. Would you like to start off with something to drink?"

After they placed their drink orders, Puck skimmed over the menu, desperately looking for eggplant parmesan, breathing a sigh of relief when he found it, while Rachel was still looking at hers with an excited smile on her face. As Joey came back with their drinks and took their order, Puck grinned over at Rachel.

"That's a conspiracy-worthy smile Noah. What going on in that head of yours?" He sat back and took a sip of his before continuing with his smirk.

"Nothing. Just patting myself on the back now. This is totally romantic, and I planned it out. Face it Rach, I'm fucking awesome." Rachel laughed but rolled her eyes at the same time.

"Sometimes I worry about your ego Noah. And that means something when it's coming from _me_. Are you absolutely positive that you're not just average and merely _overcompensating_ for things?" Puck instantly felt like she'd just balled up her tiny fist and punched him in the nuts. He knew she was joking by the look in her eyes but still, you don't joke about things like that.

"You're kidding right? I'm a sex god Rachel, ask pretty much anyone. I don't have to overcompensate for shit. You're mean." Rachel giggled and shook her head.

"Noah, while I've heard countless times of your exploits with women and while I have no doubt that you would have an abundance of experience, you're eighteen years old. There is no way you could possibly be a _sex god_. It's simply unrealistic." Puck hated the tone of finality in her voice, like it was the end of the discussion. Well fuck that. One of the best things about their friendship was the arguing and bickering so he was about to bring that over to the dating side of the relationship too.

"_You're_ unrealistic," he shot back. "I can prove it to you. Just say the word and I will prove to you that Noah Puckerman _is_ a Sex God. End of story." Rachel's cheeks blushed a little but she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Well you're just going to have to wait about eleven more dates before any _proving_ of anything is on the table." He wasn't really expecting that statement, nor did he actually understand it.

"What are you talking about?" Just then, Joey walked up with their plates of food and he didn't want to admit that it smelled freaking awesome. Rachel waited until the waiter walked off before she answered his question.

"I started thinking the other day. I was getting nervous about our date so I started doing some research. I know that I'm emotionally and physically ready for a sexual relationship but that doesn't mean I want to jump in to anything. So, with the help of my research, I decided that twelve dates is adequate time for us to wait before engaging in anything sexual." She finished her little speech with this satisfied grin and Puck just stared at her as he chewed.

"So wait, you did _research_ to decide if you were going to sleep with me or not? Rach please tell me you realize that's not why I want to date you. I actually like you and I'm trying to do this right. I'm not just trying to get under your skirt." Rachel smiled demurely and tried to ignore the little flutter her heart did when he said that.

"I realize that Noah. But I also remember all the other times I've _been_ with you and I'm sure that it will lead to that eventually. I'm just setting a guideline so that we are able to really build a relationship before complicating it with physical needs." Puck thought for a second, a little calmer now than before, and decided he needed to eat more food before saying anything else. That's when he remembered something that Finn told him at the beginning of junior year.

"What happened to waiting until you were twenty-five?" He knew that he was sounding like he didn't want to sleep with Rachel, which totally wasn't the case, but he still didn't want her to feel pressured because of his background with women. Rachel blew a raspberry with her tongue and laughed.

"Talk about unrealistic. I'm not naïve, not terribly at least, and I know that my control tends to slip when I'm with you. I really care about you Noah, and I know you care about me. Those are feelings that I honestly hope will grow and if they do, I'm prepared for that step _now_, not years from now. I know me, and I'm comfortable with that. I've never felt pressured with you, and that's what makes it such an easy decision. Are you okay with that Noah?" Puck could only nod silently while he chewed on a piece of his eggplant.

"I'm cool with it if you are babe." Rachel grinned, sipping at her water and looking at him through her lashes. He needed a change of subject. "Can you tell me what Kurt was wearing yesterday because it kind of looked like a straight jacket that he escaped from and then safety pinned it back together?"

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><p>"Then Santana threatened to shave his head if he didn't stop telling her how to dress. They've been friends ever since. Kurt and Santana are actually alike in many ways and it's genuinely terrifying when they put their brains together for evil. My wardrobe has suffered many times at their hands." Puck laughed at the end of her story as he walked her up the porch steps at her house. Instead of stopping at the door, she turned and walked down to the end where a swing was gently swaying in the breeze. Puck followed her, happy that the night wasn't really ending yet.<p>

As he sat down beside her, he placed his arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer. She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. After a few seconds, Rachel inclined her head so she could look up at him and smiled.

"So," Puck started, "as far as first dates go, this one was pretty good right?" Rachel giggled softly, nodding her head.

"It was wonderful Noah. The fact that you looked for a restaurant to eat at so that I would be comfortable means so much to me. You really have no idea. Thank you." Puck grinned, thinking once more that the feeling he got from impressing her was a pretty damn good feeling.

"Figured I should make the effort. Besides, you're usually worth it anyway so it's no big deal." Rachel lightly slapped at his leg and but still laughed. Then she got quiet, only the sound of their combined breathing floated around them. It was actually nice. Suddenly, Rachel turned her head back to face him but she still didn't say anything. He looked down into her eyes, briefly catching them dart down to his mouth, and he couldn't help himself. "Would you just kiss me already?" She looked up with a tiny gasp at being caught and then smiled.

Puck moved his fingertips across her jaw before stopping at her chin. Rachel leaned up as he bent his head down and their lips met softly. He felt her grip his arm before she pressed her mouth harder against his. When she stuck the very tip of her tongue out to touch his bottom lip, he took the cue and deepened the kiss. Puck gently pushed his tongue past her lips and smiled to himself at the soft moan she emitted. Suddenly she threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and pulled him closer. He chuckled softly when she nipped at his bottom lip but then she quickly pressed her mouth against it in a soothing motion. He pushed his mouth against hers a little harder, but she pushed back and it suddenly became this tiny war of lips and tongues that he didn't really care who won. Rachel tightened her hold on his hair and curled her tongue around his again. Puck couldn't kiss her enough. She tasted like raspberry lip-gloss and something better. He didn't want to stop.

Rachel's years of training in breath support were nothing compared to the intense make-out abilities of Noah Puckerman. She pulled back just enough to lay her head on his shoulder again and smiled dreamily up at him again.

"That was awesome." Any other time, she would've wondered where her vocabulary had gone but after that, a lack of words was perfectly understandable. Noah leaned down again, just enough that their noses touched, and whispered,

"Well let's make it even better." His lips had just touched hers when they both heard it.

"Ahem, Rachel honey, don't you think it's time to come inside?" Puck pulled back and turned to see Nathan Berry standing just outside the door. His arms were crossed and, even though he was speaking to Rachel, his eyes were on Puck. Rachel licked her lips and looked at her dad.

"I'll just be another moment dad. Noah and I were saying goodnight." Nathan ticked his eyebrow skeptically and snorted, but he walked back inside the house. Puck blew out a breath and chuckled nervously. Rachel giggled and stood up. "I guess I should go inside now before he comes back out." Puck stood up from the swing and grinned at her.

"Guess so." She placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him through her lashes.

"I had a lovely time Noah. Thank you." She leaned in and kissed his lips very softly. It was kind of an odd contrast to what she'd been doing only moments before but he took it just as eagerly.

"Not a problem babe. I'll talk to you later."

Puck waited until she was in the house with the door shut before he stepped off the porch and headed to his truck. He sat there in her driveway for just a second until he saw her bedroom light come on. He smiled at the thought of her in her bed, thinking of him.

When he got into his bed that night, he stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds. Eleven more dates with Rachel would be a piece of cake.

Or _would_ they?

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><p><strong>an2: couple more things, Nathan Berry is based on Stanley Tucci and David Berry is based on an older version of Laz Alonso. PLEASE REVIEW! Also, I have two more fics coming, one-shots that I hope you'll read and enjoy as well. Thank you so much!**

**Meagan (musicconsumes)**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: My muse is quite possibly the bitchiest muse ever. Not even kidding. That's why it's taken so long to get this chapter out. That's also why I've written about three one-shots since I updated last chapter. But hey, feel free to go read those too! I'm never gonna stop you there. Read all of them if you like. (Shameless Plug Day in my mind! Sorry, but only a little…) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's the first one that has an inkling of an actual M rating which of course makes me happy. Can you say 'Pucksterbation'? It's pretty much one of my favorite things ever. I don't own Glee or Mark's song "Fugitive"…**

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><p>It was all her fucking fault. Every single last damn bit of it. All Rachel Berry's fault.<p>

Okay, maybe it wasn't _all_ her fault, but she was definitely mostly to blame. The rest of the blame was on his fucking too-easily-excited-moron of a dick.

The combination of the two was why Puck was lying in his bed, unable to sleep, unable to move, because of the worst (best?) raging hard-on he'd probably ever had.

It started simply enough. By the time he made it home that afternoon, he realized that because he'd been paying more attention to Rachel during glee club than whatever lesson Mr. Shue was trying to drill into their heads, he'd totally missed the assignment for the week. So naturally, he called Rachel (like he actually needed a reason lately but the conversation usually flowed a little easier when he had one) to get the assignment. Somehow they started talking about what they could do for their next date. It'd been about two weeks since their first one because of various school bullshit, neither one of them had been able to clear a night.

Right before they got off the phone with each other, there was a whole lot of noise coming from Rachel's end and Puck couldn't for the life of him figure out what was happening. When he asked, she said she felt gross from glee rehearsal that afternoon and was getting ready to take a shower. The matter-of-fact way she said it was innocent enough but when she hung up, he realized what that actually meant. Rachel had been talking to him, _naked_! He'd never pitched a tent so fast in his life. Because there was nobody in the house at the time, he took care of _that_ _one_ pretty easily. But that, of course, wasn't the last one of the night.

So there he was, staring at his ceiling, wishing that he could figure out a way to convince Rachel that sexting would be a good idea. He knew she probably wouldn't go for it. With a deep breath, he palmed his cock and groaned. His thumb slid across the moisture gathered at the head and swirled it around, imagining _her_ mouth instead of his hand. He pumped as slow as his self-control would allow, starting at the base and working his way up to the swollen throbbing head. As he stroked, gripping himself just a little tighter, he could practically see Rachel in his mind. She was naked and dripping wet from her shower, all soft skin and curves just waiting to be explored. His hand started pumping faster and he let it, lost in his own fantasy. He could practically taste her on his tongue, sweet and heady and perfect. He wanted her too much for his own good. Tightening his fingers just a little more, he couldn't stay quiet in the dark of his room.

"Rachel," he breathed. Puck circled the head again, hissing through clenched teeth because he could feel the tightening in his balls as he thrust into his palm. His eyes fell closed and he saw Rachel sinking down on him. Her breasts, small and round, were _right there_ and he wanted to reach out and touch them. That was all he could take. His other hand shot out to grab the t-shirt he'd discarded earlier and he came with two more furious pumps.

As he was wiping the sticky mess from his hand, he exhaled in satisfaction. Yep, her fault.

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><p>Rachel noticed that Noah looked a little tired when he walked into the school that morning. But what worried her even more was the look he gave her when he saw her. She'd seen that look on his face before, usually directed at girls right before he disappeared into a closet or empty classroom with them. She walked over to him just as he was sticking his head into his locker.<p>

"Noah, are you alright?" That startled him enough that he stood up straight too fast and hit his head against the metal.

"Ow! Shit fuck that…hey Rach. What's up?" She tightened her lips to stop her laughter and smiled up at him. There was that look again.

"Are you alright? You look tired and you seemed perfectly fine when I got off the phone with you. I was worried that perhaps you aren't getting enough sleep at night and you wouldn't be able to correctly function during the school day." Noah stared down at her for a moment, and she couldn't shake the feeling that the thoughts going through his mind were on anything but getting through school.

"Don't worry, I can function just fine." Rachel cleared her throat when his stare became too intense for her to take.

"Well then, we should get to class. Will you walk with me?" Noah looked down to see her outstretched hand and took it.

"Duh." They walked a couple feet down the hall and he turned towards her. "Did you ever think about what you wanted to do for our next date?" He had to work hard to force the assaulting images from the night before out of his mind. That would only cause him to push her up against the row of lockers beside them and take her right there. Either that or, _embarrass_ himself and that was about the worst possible problem he could think of. Nothing was worse than an issue of the 'mailman' variety.

Before Rachel was able to answer, a freshman came barreling down the hallway and ran right into him, knocking his books out of his hands. On instinct, Noah shoved the kid into a locker with a growl, holding him there with his arm across the smaller boy's chest.

"Oh shit I'm sorry Puck. I was just trying to get to class. If I'm late one more time, I'll get detention and my mom is gonna kill me. Could you just not punch me right now?" Rachel watched as Noah pinned the kid up against the lockers. She wanted to reprimand him and remind him that the student hadn't run into him on purpose. But instead, she gazed for a second at the way the veins in his arm rippled, the way his bicep bulged beneath the tight t-shirt sleeve covering it.

"How about you just watch where the fuck you're going next time?" The kid looked surprised that he wasn't getting punched but Puck shoved him a few feet down the hall out of the way. When he turned around, Rachel had some of his books in her hands. One of them, a notebook that he would've preferred had stayed closed.

"Noah, are these, these are songs aren't they?" Rachel looked over the page in front of her, different phrases catching her eye, melodies scrawled along the margins, random notes written over certain words, it was chaos. But it was beautiful. _I am not a fugitive. I just wanted to be free from the secrets and the ghosts that have been chasing after me._ That line stuck out in her mind and her breath caught short.

"Yeah, can I have my stuff back now?" Rachel gave him all of the books except the notebook and ignored the pissed look he gave her in response. "Seriously Rachel, give it back."

"Noah this is beautiful. Why haven't you said anything about writing songs? How did I not know about this?" He jerked his hand forward and snatched the notebook out of her hand, closing it in the process.

"It's nothing. After Shue had us write songs those couple of times, I figured I'd keep at it. Try and get better you know? 'Big Ass Heart' isn't exactly shit, but it's not really something I wanna be remembered for. Could you not make a big deal about it?" She wanted to make a big deal about it. She wanted to demand that he play every song in that notebook for her, like a private concert. She wanted to jump up and down and tell him how proud of him she was. But instead, she bit her tongue and looked up at him with a smile.

"It's _something_ Noah. Don't _ever_ tell yourself otherwise." He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off by slipping her hand back into his. "Let's go to class."

When they reached the classroom, Rachel took her seat and started thinking. Noah had kept writing songs, good songs, and couldn't even see the greatness in them that she saw in just a few lines. She turned her head to look at him where he was sitting beside her at their shared desk. He raised his eyebrow at her and she made the decision. Quickly tearing a sheet of paper out of her binder, she discreetly jotted down a note and slid it across the table to him.

Puck looked down at the note she'd passed to him and then looked up to make sure the teacher wasn't paying attention. All it said was 'I know what we're doing for our next date', didn't explain anything further. He grabbed his pencil and replied before sliding it back to her.

Rachel smiled at his confused reply asking what the plan was but she just folded the piece of paper up and stuck it in her binder without answering. He'd surprised her for their first date, now she could do the same with their second.

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><p>"Rachel will you just tell me why I'm driving us to Columbus already? We've been driving for over an hour. You know it's not gonna be a surprise once we get there anyway so just tell me." Rachel giggled in her seat and shook her head.<p>

"I'm not telling you Noah. So quit trying to figure it out." He took his eyes off the road long enough to shoot her a glare at the fact that she was using his own words against him. "I'll tell you when we get there. But I promise, you'll love it." He muttered something under his breath she didn't quite catch. A few more minutes passed and she heard him humming along to the song on the radio. She couldn't stay quiet. "Noah, do you remember the other day in the hallway when—"

"When you looked through my notebook and now you're gonna make a big deal about it like I asked you not to?" Noah shot her a knowing glance but Rachel just shook her head in denial.

"I didn't look through it. It was open when I picked it up and I was curious so yes, I looked over the page. You act as though I was an unwanted interloper into a vault of some sort. I'm sorry that you feel as though I intruded upon your privacy but that was certainly not my intention. But I won't lie and say that I'm sorry for what I saw." She kept her eyes on him, watching as he shifted somewhat uncomfortably behind the wheel. She'd tried to talk to him about it but it seemed to be out of the question. She was honestly hoping that the date she'd planned wasn't going to turn into a huge failure. Finally, he sighed and turned the radio down just a bit before speaking.

"How much did you see anyway?" Puck had been wondering about that for the past couple of days. He was pretty sure that, since Rachel was painfully honest, she wouldn't have said it was beautiful just to spare his feelings. And that's what she'd said. Word for word, she said 'this is beautiful' and he couldn't have forgotten it if he'd wanted to.

"Enough," she stated simply. "Enough to know that it's something you're serious about, something you're really good at, and something that I wouldn't mind seeing more of. The page that the notebook had fallen open to, that song, or at least the line and the few notes that I caught, it felt so real. But then you seemed to get a bit defensive about it so I tried to drop it. Obviously, dropping subjects isn't exactly my forte." Rachel looked over at him seeing his jaw relax just a little bit.

"It's just, you weren't supposed to see it. Not yet. I don't know. I was kind of on edge that day and you finding my notebook just didn't really help matters." He paused for a second, almost waiting for her to ask the question he desperately didn't want her to ask (exactly why he'd been on edge that day), but breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't say anything. "I'm sorry about that by the way. I probably could've acted like less of an asshole about it." Rachel nodded in agreement which made him chuckle. But then, she reached across the seat and grabbed his hand.

"When you say 'not yet', does that mean that I'll get to see them some day?" The hopeful look in her eyes almost made him want to turn the car around so he could get that damn notebook and show her. But he kept his foot on the gas instead.

"Well yeah. You're honest and you know a lot of different music. I figure if anybody can tell me whether it's good or not, it's gonna be you." She grinned proudly at him and locked her fingers between his.

"Thank you Noah. And I know your songs are amazing because they come from your heart." Rachel turned to look out the window and smiled. "Okay turn left at the second light and then we can find the parking garage. The theatre should be across the street from that." Puck paused mid-nod and looked over at her.

"Wait, theatre? Are we seeing some musical or something? Because you really need to warn a guy about stuff like that." She ticked her eyebrow up and gave him a sideways glance before scoffing.

"So you can mysteriously back out at the last minute? I think not. And no, we aren't seeing a musical. Just drive and stop being paranoid." Puck waited until he was stopped at the traffic light before looking over at her. He squeezed her hand until she finally turned to face him.

"Hey, even if we were, I wouldn't back out on you. But I'd still like to be warned." The light turned green and he turned left like she'd told him to.

He parked on the second level of the garage close to the stairs so it'd be easy to remember. He was still counting on making out with Rachel later that night but if they spent half of the date searching for the car, that would suck. As they were walking down the steps, he put his arm around her waist, so she wouldn't fall or something, and tried again.

"Will you tell me why we're here now?"

"Oh dear god Noah we are literally thirty feet from the door and you can't wait _that_ much longer? I should wait until we're in our seat before telling you anything." She couldn't help laughing at the fact that he looked like she'd just kicked his puppy. But the pout he was sporting was absolutely adorable so she also couldn't help herself when she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You'll see when we get inside anyway."

As they were crossing the street, Puck looked up at the marquis. Now he understood why Rachel had suddenly come up with the idea for this date so quickly after that day in the hallway.

"A songwriter's showcase," he said curiously. Rachel looked up at him when they were standing in front of the doors and grinned.

"Yes, they have the songwriters of some of the most popular songs here. They sit and tell the stories behind how they came up with the lyrics and music. It's fascinating and it always gives me a deeper appreciation for the songs I hear on the radio." She paused, her smile dropping from her face, and ran her fingers down his arm. "I thought it would be a good idea, because of your songwriting. I guess I should have told you before now." Puck realized quickly that she'd misread his silence for dislike. He looked down at her and nudged her arm.

"Hey babe, this is pretty cool. I always see the commercials for these things and look kinda fun. You planned this because of me?" Rachel looked up into his eyes and bit her lip, making him want to kiss her like always.

"Well you went through the trouble of giving me a fantastic first date so I thought it only made sense that I put forth the effort to make our second date just as wonderful. We've got about ten minutes before it starts. Do you want to go in and find our seats?" He thought about it for just a second and figured they didn't really _need_ the full ten minutes to find their seats. So instead of opening the door to the theatre, Puck pulled her off to the side and leaned against one of the columns nearby. Rachel looked like she was about to protest, her finger already halfway up and ready to point in the direction behind them, but he just took both of her hands and put them behind his neck.

"You know, that kiss you gave me when I picked you up tonight isn't gonna hold me over until I take you home. And since we have a couple minutes before show time, we could take advantage of the moment." He smiled down at her, making his face look as adorable as possible, but Rachel just laughed and shook her head.

"Noah, we really need to get to our seats. Because I know that if you start kissing me now, I won't be able to stop." Puck rolled his eyes but let her take his hand so she could lead them into the foyer of the theatre.

When they sat down, he saw that they were pretty close to the stage. Knowing Rachel, she probably had connections or something and that was why the seats rocked. Stealthily, he put his arm around her shoulders so she would lean over on him. He bent his head down and whispered in her ear, "If I don't try to cop a feel during the show, I get a free pass on the ride home right?" Rachel patted his leg with a soft giggle and replied,

"We'll see Noah."

When the first songwriter walked out on the stage carrying a guitar, she felt Noah sit up just a little straighter. That's when she knew that he would love this date, even if he tried to play it down later. During the show, Rachel thought about the one line of Noah's song that had stuck out to her, the one about wanting to be free from the ghosts of the past. She wanted to know the story behind it, the reason that song had been written in the first place, what it was exactly that he wanted to be free from. She knew his past, but she also knew that he had secrets. There was a feeling inside her that just knew that those secrets would be in his music. Noah bottled a lot of things up. Talking about Beth still made his voice break and she knew that it probably still broke his heart. She'd never been able to get him to tell her the real reason why he'd tried to steal that ATM during junior year. And she knew that there had to be abandonment issues from all of the mess with his father at such a young age. Noah never just blew up on anyone for little things. He _wasn't_ a loose cannon. And he always put heart and emotion into his glee club performances. His music was his outlet. It had to be. The secrets, heartbreaks, and emotions that he refused to let show in the real world must come out in his songwriting. Rachel only hoped that he would one day entrust those secrets to her and let her hear those songs he continued to keep to himself. He'd told her he would let her see them and she planned to hold him to that.

Towards the end of the concert, all of the songwriters came back out on stage and performed together. They all looked so happy, just performing but still technically remaining behind the scenes of the music world. The way they made it seem like just being able to tell their story was worth the almost complete lack of recognition. Rachel was positive that she'd never be able to do that but the respect she had for the songwriters grew exponentially.

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><p>"Oh man that one lady talking about her husband getting a DUI on their anniversary was hilarious. Then she ended up getting a Grammy because of the song she wrote about it. It was freaking awesome how they stripped it all down. We only ever hear the finished versions that have been auto-tuned and have all that synthetic stuff going on in the background. But they were just up there with their guitars, just playing." Rachel couldn't help giggling at Noah's enthusiasm. He'd actually been talking since they left the theatre and the fact that he'd enjoyed it so much made Rachel really excited.<p>

"So it's safe to say you had fun," she asked with a knowing smile. He looked over at her and ticked his head, gesturing for her to scoot across the cab of the truck. Rachel unbuckled her seatbelt and slid over beside him. Puck waited for her to get the middle seatbelt on before he placed his arm around her shoulders. He leaned down so his lips were close to her ear and whispered,

"I had a lot of fun Rach, especially because I was with you." Rachel hummed and tilted her head, almost as if she was expecting him to kiss her neck and giving him room to do so. He shot a quick look back to the road to make sure he wasn't about to wreck before pressing his mouth to her skin, just below her ear. She shuddered out a breath which made him laugh as he sat up in the seat again to watch where he was driving.

"Noah, when we get back to Lima, will you take me to Burger King?" That made him do a double take but Rachel just rolled her eyes. "I'm starving and I really like their fries. Don't give me that look."

They ended up getting the largest order of fries available and shared them in Rachel's driveway while listening to the radio. It surprised him a little bit when she stood up on her knees on the seat and tilted his head up towards hers. He got the point real fast when she started kissing him and pressing him up against the driver's side window. He ran his hands down her body, grabbing her ass just above the hemline of her tiny skirt. Rachel grabbed onto the back of his hair as she pressed her mouth even harder against his.

Rachel wasn't able to seat herself in his lap like she wanted to do because of the steering wheel and once she realized that was what she wanted to do, she pulled back.

"What's wrong Rachel?" Rachel could see the concern on his face but she noted that his hands were still resting quite comfortably on her backside. It made her laugh softly.

"Nothing Noah. But I need to get inside." He was very obviously confused by her sudden change in demeanor since she'd been the one to instigate the make-out session in the first place but she really didn't trust herself at the moment.

"Did I do something? I mean, you've never had a problem with me grabbing your ass before but I could try to stop if you want." Rachel giggled and flattened her palms against his chest.

"Noah you didn't do anything wrong. You're doing everything right and that's exactly my problem right now. I _really_ need to get inside." Naturally, Noah didn't have any trouble comprehending the undertones of her comments. If the haughty smirk he gave her was any indication, he understood a little too well.

Standing on her porch, he kissed her as chastely as possible before the porch light came on. They both laughed but Noah pressed his forehead to hers and took her hand in his.

"Thanks for tonight Rach. It was really cool." Knowing his way with words, she took the compliment and smiled one more time before going into her house.

As soon as the door was closed, Rachel ran up the stairs to her room so she could watch as Noah backed his truck out of her driveway. When she thought of what had just happened in that truck, an all too familiar tingling stirred in her core. Ten more dates with Noah would be the sweetest hell she'd ever encountered.

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><p><strong>an2: Please review. Reviews make everything better. Seriously.**


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: Okay peoples I have news! Mark Salling looked right at me! Yeah, I died. I went to Michigan this past week to meet my twin ****foreverGleek20**** and to see Glee Live in Detroit. I wore my 'I Heart Puck' shirt and we had fantastic seats right up close. He saw me in my shirt and he looked right at me and pointed at me! It was the most amazing experience ever. No lie! We also got to meet Darren Criss and Heather Morris. Heather is even more impossibly beautiful in real life, which I totally didn't think was possible. When Darren saw my shirt, he said "Aww I'm sorry I'm not Puck." Cory also high-fived us and during 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', Chris held my twin's hand! Pretty much sang to her. It was amazing! The entire experience was the best ever. I loved it all. Anyway, about this chapter, the reason it took so long to get out was mainly because of the trip but I finished it. Hope you like this date I planned for them! Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to get out. Thank you all for the wonderful kind words you give me. It still blows me away. I don't own Glee. Please review!**

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><p>Rachel bit down on her lip to keep the nerves at bay. Noah seemed so confident and she was completely lost. He'd done this many times before but this was something that she had honestly never seen herself doing. It was guaranteed to be painful. She wasn't looking forward to that. It seemed needlessly violent. But the thing she was most worried about was what if she just wasn't any good? What if, after all the pep talks from Noah, she turned out to be absolutely horrible? Rachel wasn't sure she could live with herself if she was bad at it.<p>

Puck lowered the tailgate on his truck and pulled his bag to the edge. He knew Rachel was nervous. She hadn't said a word on the way over and that was huge. When he pulled his gun out of the bag, her eyes widened and she gasped. He sat it down on the tailgate before turning to her and curling his fingers around her shoulders.

"Rach, it's just paintball. We're gonna recalibrate the guns so if you get hit, it'll just sting a little bit." Rachel huffed and crossed her arms.

"What part of that is supposed to comfort me? I don't like _guns_, I don't like when things _sting_, and I have no idea what 'recalibrate' even means! Why did I let you talk me into this? _How_ did you talk me into this?" She poked his chest with her finger but he continued to stare down at her. Rachel gazed into his eyes, trying to demand an answer without actually verbalizing that demand. Puck moved just half a step closer and slid his hands down her arms with a smirk.

"I'm pretty sure the group date was your idea. And we were making out when I said paintball so that's probably why you weren't objecting to anything." She slapped his chest with the back of her hand but he didn't back away. "It'll be fun, I promise. Besides, you won't be the only newbie out there. Mercedes, Tina, Quinn, and Kurt have never played either." He bent his head down and used his forehead on hers to push her head up. When their noses touched, Rachel breathed in softly. "Trust me," he whispered, "you'll be fine." Rachel found that when he spoke in that soft almost intimate voice, she couldn't help but smile. He pulled another gun out of the bag and handed it to her. "Here, if it's too heavy we'll just rent a lighter one for you." She held the gun in her hands and gaped at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"It's not too heavy," she said. When she pulled it up and aimed it in the direction of the empty parking lot, Puck took a good look at her. Her hair was in this long French braid that went down her back and she'd dressed in a black long-sleeved t-shirt with these camouflage pants. He didn't know where the hell she'd been hiding the pants but they looked really fucking good on her. Puck was almost positive that she'd borrowed the boots from Santana because they looked way too familiar. She looked like Lara Croft or something and that was fucking hot. He was almost positive that she'd been channeling her when she got dressed or something. He was just hoping that she'd actually play like the Tomb Raider rather than hide behind a bunker like most girls did. "Noah, could you please stop staring? You're making me self-conscious and I tried to dress the way you told me to. Although, I wasn't quite sure what 'prepared for battle' really pertained to but I did my best so stop looking at me like that."

"How am I making you self-conscious? I'm just staring like I always do, appreciating the view. What else do you expect me to do when you look like that? It's hot, you're hot, I'm gonna stare. It's who I am. You know that." Rachel rolled her eyes in spite of her blushing cheeks and started playing with the barrel sock on the gun while he continued to take equipment out of his bag. He was about to grab the gun back from Rachel so he could attach its CO2 tank when Kurt's Escalade pulled up beside his truck.

Santana got out of the passenger side and Mercedes stepped out of the backseat. Both girls were decked out in camouflage looking quite badass. Kurt and Sam walked around the vehicle and Puck kinda wanted to laugh. Kurt was dressed head to toe in black except for the blue camouflage bandana that his hair flopped lightly across. On closer inspection, the bandana had tiny rhinestones that spelled out 'Kurt' across his forehead. Sam's hat was backwards and he was wearing the same thing as Puck, black muscle shirt and camouflage cargo pants.

Rachel hugged Santana when she came to stand beside her and looked over at Kurt.

"I thought Finn and Quinn were supposed to be riding with you guys. What happened?" Everyone that had ridden with Kurt chuckled at Rachel's question.

"Well they were supposed to. But, both of them got grounded because apparently Finn got caught sneaking out of Quinn's house at four in the morning yesterday." Rachel gasped softly but Puck rolled his eyes and said,

"Finn's a dumbass. I've never been caught and there's no telling how many places I've had to sneak out of. Hell, sometimes without clothes." Rachel looked at him with her eyebrow high, almost daring him to share more of those little scenarios, and everyone laughed again because they knew it was probably true. "Mike and Tina are still coming though right?" Before anyone could answer, Mike pulled into the parking lot right beside Kurt.

Rachel guessed that the boys must have decided on some team uniform when she saw that Mike had donned the same combination of black muscle shirt and army pants. But then she enjoyed the fact that her outfit, without having had any help, was quite similar. She felt like she belonged.

Once they got the guns recalibrated so that it wouldn't hurt too bad, they did some target practice. Santana was the only one of the girls that had ever played paintball so Mercedes, Tina, and Rachel used the target practice to get used to the guns. Surprisingly, Kurt knew his way around the gun because apparently Dave had showed him how to use it. Sam was helping Mercedes with hers which was kind of funny because it just gave Sam an excuse to touch her ass when he tried to show her how to stand. It was also funny because there isn't a certain way you should stand when shooting a paintball gun…but Mercedes didn't know that. Santana was getting the bulls-eye every damn time and it was freaking Puck out just a little. She'd gotten a lot better since the last time he'd seen her play. Mike and Tina were playing around, being their usual selves, but still shooting and trying to practice.

Rachel stilled her movements when Noah stepped up behind her. She could feel him, like her body was suddenly hyper-aware of his presence. As he chuckled at her stiffness, his hands repositioned the gun for her. "Here, if you put the stock up next to your shoulder like this, you can steady the gun and fix your aim." Rachel turned her head to look at him but he just motioned for her to shoot the target again. The neon pink paint splattered just off center where before she hadn't even been hitting the spray-painted particle board at all. A smug grin crossed her face and she pulled the trigger again. Bulls-eye.

"I hit it right in the middle Noah! Did you see that? I did it!" She turned around on an animated jump and Puck pushed the barrel down towards the ground in case she hit the trigger on accident. Getting shot at close range hurt like a bitch, just ask Finn. "Whoops, sorry," she said sheepishly but then immediately resumed her hopping and grinning. "I hit the target!" Puck couldn't help smiling at her.

"I saw that," he answered simply. "Now watch this." He aimed his gun and pulled the trigger before Rachel even had the chance to turn her head. The green paint hit dead center and Rachel's mouth dropped open.

"Show off," she muttered. He laughed softly and leaned over, kissing her quickly on the lips with a grin.

"It's my nature babe. You should be used to it by now." He watched her face for a moment, her light smile turning into a small frown as fear seemed to mar her features. "What's wrong?"

"You'll think it's stupid Noah. Just forget it." She turned and raised her gun in an effort to practice once more but he touched her shoulder to stop her.  
>"Hey, you're worried about something. That's not stupid. Tell me, maybe I can help. That's what you'd say to me." Rachel huffed at his accuracy in more than just paintball and faced him again.<p>

"I'm scared. I don't want to get hurt. Or hurt anyone else. It just seems very violent and it scares me. See? It's stupid." Puck made sure his safety was on before he set his gun down on the ground beside them. He took Rachel's gun and did the same thing. She looked so adorably confused but he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

"It wasn't stupid," he whispered, "but I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise." When his lips met her forehead, he heard her sigh softly into his chest as her arms tightened ever so slightly around his torso. She inhaled his scent and it calmed her nerves.

The guy that worked for the place, who was going to be their referee, walked over to the group just as Rachel was reluctantly pulling away from Puck's chest.

"Alright you guys we're gonna get started but before I take you over to the first playing field, I'll go ahead and explain the rules for the first-timers. Three shots will count as a kill so if you get shot three times, hold your gun in the air and call yourself out. The game won't stop so try not to get shot making your way off the field. If you get within fifteen feet of a player from the opposing team, do not shoot them. Call for them to surrender and that will count as a kill. Any questions?" No one seemed to have any so he continued. "Have you guys decided on teams yet?" Kurt stepped forward, gun propped up on his shoulder and hand perched daintily on his hip.

"Since this is a group date consisting of members from Glee, I think we should pay homage to our most _overused_ tradition and start out with boys versus girls." Mercedes laughed but Mike stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You do realize that means you're with us right? And you can't sabotage us just because your 'allegiance is with the girls'." Kurt rolled his eyes at his dark-haired friend and nodded his head.

"Yes I realize that Mike, I want a clear shot at Santana so that means I must be on the opposing team." Santana did this rolling thing with her neck and Rachel knew that the 'Lima Heights Adjacent' side of her best friend was about to rear its attitudinal head.

"You best watch your back Hummel. You're my bitch outside these walls but on that field, you're gonna be my _bitch_, got it?" Kurt's gaze narrowed for just a second, the grip on his gun tightening, and he and Santana locked eyes in what seemed to be a stand-off. Everyone knew how close they'd become since Santana had come out but sometimes there was a bit of a 'frenemy' aspect to their relationship that kept a little air of tension around them at all times. Their personalities both clashed and meshed so they definitely had an interesting dynamic. The stare-off ended when Kurt cracked a smile and Santana broke out in laughter. Just like that, the tension was gone.

"Wait a second," Tina started, "girls versus guys isn't fair. Santana is the only girl that's ever played before so that gives the guys an unfair advantage." Santana chuckled and walked over to where Tina was standing, slipping her arm through hers and playing with her braided pigtail.

"Oh it's fair, trust me. Every single one of these guys has a weakness that I know. And with me on your team, you'll know them too. It'll be a piece of cake." The confident tone that always accompanied Santana's voice seemed to put Tina at ease. The referee clapped his hands with a bored look on his face.

"Okay, now that that's sorted out, you guys can follow me to the first war zone." He turned and started walking out of the target practice enclosure with everyone following after him.

Rachel looked around once they got to the playing field. It was in the middle of a wooded area with twenty foot high netting hanging from the trees to designate what was the actual 'war zone' and what was a safe no-shooting area. In the middle of the field, there was a deep trench with two very dangerous and gaunt looking bridges across it. There were piles of sticks everywhere, stacked so they looked like bunkers to hide behind. Some makeshift buildings were scattered around to provide extra cover. They were actually particle board cut into the shape of buildings with window holes and propped up with two-by-fours. It all seemed very unstable but there was a primal side to it that she didn't completely hate. The referee made sure everyone had their protective masks down before letting them choose sides. The boys, knowing that the girls wouldn't want to cross the rickety bridges, started across to the other side of the field. He gave them a few minutes to get into their spots, Rachel squatted down behind one of the wooden bunkers built with the sticks, before repeating that if you got shot three times you were to call yourself out and to hold your gun up in the air before making your way off the field.

She was breathing fast, her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest. The only time Rachel could ever remember when so much adrenaline had been running through her veins was the first time she'd ever kissed Noah. The whistle blew to signal the start of the game and she heard the first shots ring out. Ten feet away, Mercedes got hit first. She was quick to retaliate and immediately shot in the direction of her attacker. Rachel realized that she didn't want to sit behind her bunker for the whole game. She wanted to _play_.

She looked to her left and saw that the makeshift house wasn't too far away. As stealthily as she could, she looked over her protective sticks and saw Sam, the blonde hair peeking out from under his hat and mask, aim his gun right at Tina. Without thinking, Rachel aimed and pulled the trigger three times. Two splatters of paint colored his chest and the third shot hit the tree he was standing beside. But she didn't have time to revel in her success because her shots had given her position away. The second she stepped out from behind her bunker, a paintball whizzed past her shoulder and she ducked back down. Someone was shooting at her! With a deep breath, Rachel got down on her knees, prepared to roll to the other house if she had to, and she looked around for her teammates. Santana was to the right, Mercedes and Tina had both moved up a little farther. She heard Santana yell 'gotcha' followed almost instantly with Mike's voice yelling 'out'.

After a second, she got her bearings and started to move. Even as quick and small as she was, on her journey a stinging sensation on her thigh caused her to cry out a couple of profanities that Noah and Santana would've been proud of. Moving a little quicker, she made it to the safety of the house and looked down at her thigh. Blue paint colored her pants and she growled. "Kurt," she muttered. It stung, quite accurately, like a bitch. It was _on_!

She flattened her body on the ground just as she heard Tina call herself out and peered around the wooden cut-out. Kurt was almost too easy to spot with that stupid bandana around his head. Even with his mask on, it stuck up in the back like feather on a peacock screaming 'Here I Am' and she wanted to laugh. With her position on the ground and the fact that he was most likely looking for Santana to shoot at, Rachel had a clear shot at him. She fired off one shot, in an attempt to not give away her location again, and then got back behind the wood. When no retaliation shots were fired in her direction, she moved to shoot from the other side. Noah was nowhere to be found but Sam was just a few feet down from where he'd been the first two times she'd shot him. The chance was there and she took it. She giggled when he yelled angrily 'fuck I'm out guys' and then decided to set her sights on Kurt again since he'd shot her in the first place. Something about shooting Noah seemed so perfectly badass that she wanted to save him for last, if Santana didn't get to him first.

Kurt and Noah were the only guys left and she hadn't heard any of the other girls besides Tina call themselves out. Mercedes had been hit one time that she knew of and she'd been hit once. Suddenly, four quick shots went off, one right after the other, and she heard Santana yell something in Spanish before the English broke through. They'd just killed her. Rachel gripped her gun and ran for the pile of sticks a few yards from her spot. Because it had worked for her before, she peeked around the side again but didn't see anything. It was silent. No shots were fired and she held her breath, listening for any movement that might tell her where Mercedes was, or where the boys were. Her mask prevented most of her peripheral vision but she could hear some rustling to her right. When she turned her head to see what it was, she saw that Mercedes had apparently moved backwards. The darker diva was just a few feet away, frantically shaking her gun. She was out of ammo and for some reason, she wasn't carrying any extra.

As discreetly as possible, Rachel pulled one of the extra containers of paintballs out of the belt Noah had given her and tried to signal to Mercedes without making too much noise. She rattled the container and then tapped it on the ground before Mercedes finally looked up and saw her. Rachel looked around the corner of her hiding spot to check for the guys. Still no sign of them. Lightly tossing it to Mercedes, the girl caught it before it hit the ground and shot her a look of gratitude. Rachel realized that while her friend was reloading her gun, they were both vulnerable. She got up on her knees and slowly looked around, preparing to provide cover-fire while Mercedes was still replacing her ammunition. Some movement, a flash of blue, caught her eye. Kurt was just across the bridge closing in, which meant Noah was possibly already on their side looking for them. As far as she could tell, Kurt had only been shot one time, her shot, and if she could just get him out of the way, Noah would be hers for the taking. As soon as he revealed himself that is. Quickly, she aimed and fired twice. Kurt flinched when only one paintball splattered on his arm. The other bounced off. If it didn't bust, it didn't count. The boy raised his gun to fire back and Rachel gasped. Just then, a purple splatter covered his chest and she looked at Mercedes. The smug grin that crossed her face as Kurt called himself out didn't last long though.

Rachel heard the three shots go off and Mercedes' smile became a grimace of pain. Rachel knew that the shooter was Noah and the second Mercedes moved, he would have a perfect shot at her. She couldn't take that chance so before Mercedes could get off the field, Rachel turned and ran to the closest makeshift house. Right when she got behind it, a shot hit the wood. A few seconds passed then, nothing happened. She listened for anything that could tell her where he was, all the while trying to control her breathing.

Something wasn't right. Noah should've been hot on her tail. She started to think that maybe his gun jammed. Thinking quickly, she picked up a stick and threw it as hard as she could out across the field. It ricocheted off of a tree but it confused Noah into revealing his position. She heard the quick shuffle of his feet as he moved in the direction of where she'd thrown the stick. It was almost too good to believe that trick had actually worked. Noah came into view and she realized that she would have to shoot him in the back if she took the shot right then. The idea of that didn't sit well with her so when she aimed, it was low. And when the pink paint colored the area of his thigh just below his right butt cheek, she stifled a smile. He fell to his knees from the shock of getting hit, mainly because he hadn't expected it. Rachel moved fast and before he could turn around to get his gun up and ready to fire again, she was on him. "Surrender," she yelled. She could see his eyes through his mask when he turned his head, the way they darkened, like a glare full of something besides anger. His body tensed, finger twitching on the trigger on instinct, before he lowered his gun so the barrel was pointed at the ground. The whistle blew to signal the end of the round and Rachel was sort of glad that her mask hid the smug smile she was wearing.

The referee told them to put the barrel socks back on their guns and make their way off the field. Noah stood up as she was getting hers back on and by the time she was finished, he was standing directly in front of her with his mask off, that look still in his eyes. Whether in play or not, they weren't supposed to take their masks off on the field. So she couldn't figure out what he was doing. He shouldered his gun and reached behind her to pull her mask off. "Noah, what are you doing?"

In a split second, his mouth was on hers. She felt one of his hands on the small of her back and he used the other to angle her head up towards his. Rachel couldn't help the moan that slipped out when his tongue caressed her bottom lip. The adrenaline stirred in her veins once more. Her cheeks flushed when she ran out of breath and Noah pulled back. "You looked so hot out there. I totally thought you were about to shoot my ass when you came up on me. What was all that shit about not wanting to hurt anybody? You were a fucking warrior! Pretty sure I got a hard-on when you took out Sam. God that was so hot, I swear this might be the most fun I've ever had playing paintball and it's seriously all because of you." Rachel didn't have time to respond to anything he'd just said because his lips were instantly pressed to hers again. She felt the heat in her stomach start to build as he deepened the kiss. His body was so close, practically molded to hers, and she loved it. How physically expressive he was, the way he just knew the attention she wanted, his tongue moving in the most decadent of tangos with hers, it was all too much and not enough at the same time. He pulled back with a soft nip at her lips and rested his forehead on hers. "So amazing," he whispered with a smile.

"Hey lovers! If you're not gonna fuck in a bunker, get outta there so we can go to the next field!" A crimson blush colored Rachel's cheeks once more and she giggled nervously at Santana's words. Noah looked completely unapologetic, just smirking without a care in the world. She took a deep breath and smiled up at him.

"So was I badass enough for you?" Rachel turned to walk up the hill towards the exit of the field where their friends were gathered waiting for them but Noah grabbed her hand. When he leaned down to whisper in her ear, a tingle shot up her spine.

"Babe, I'll surrender to you any time you want. That's as badass as it gets." Rachel couldn't help the way her breath caught in her throat when he said that. As he was leading her off the field with his hand over hers, she realized the smile on her face was really big.

By the time Puck and Rachel rejoined the group, everyone had already decided that the teams were going to be switched up. Kurt basically made the decision but that's beside the point. He figured that being against Santana might not have been his best idea so now he wanted to be on the same team as her. Puck figured that as long as he could be on the same team as Rachel, she wouldn't get to shoot him in the ass again. And he'd also get a way better view of her being a kickass warrior goddess. Seriously, whatever she'd brought out of herself when she started playing, it was incredible. Wanting to be closer to _that_? Totally normal. The teams they decided on were Puck, Rachel, Tina, and Mike against Santana, Kurt, Mercedes, and Sam.

As they were all walking towards the next war zone, Puck kept his arm around Rachel's shoulders. He couldn't stop touching her. He'd seen her when she started out, timid and not wanting to hurt anyone, and then he'd witnessed the way she morphed into this raw fighter the second she got shot that first (and only) time. The fleeting glances he'd been able to get of her during the game hadn't been enough to get a clear shot of her. She was either constantly in motion or hidden and shooting with almost sniper's accuracy. He'd thought she was amazing before, and she kept getting better.

When Puck got down behind the small mound of dirt for cover, he made sure that Rachel was in easy view. He knew she probably counted as a distraction but he wanted a front row seat to the fighting soldier she seemed to become out on the field. The whistle blew and he tried to return his focus to the game. Spotting Kurt right away, Puck fired off one shot and rolled on his side so his head wouldn't be exposed. He could practically hear Santana's Spanish muttering of anger that someone on her team was the first to get shot. He knew that he was gonna have to move before he shot again. He was very reluctant to move though, partially because he was in a good spot but mainly because his good spot was right next to Rachel. Just when he'd made up his mind to make a run for another spot, he heard a loud pop beside him. As he turned his head to see what had happened, Rachel's gun slid down beside her, pointed directly at him.

"Whoa babe," he hissed. But then he looked up in time to see her head droop to the side. "Rach," but she didn't answer. He couldn't see her face because of the mask. "Baby," he said again, slightly louder than before. She still wasn't responding, no movement, no sound, nothing. The third time he called out to her, he yelled. When she still didn't respond, Puck started to get nervous. He was already in a prose position so crawling closer to her without getting hit wasn't a problem. As he took her gun out of her hand, she was still limp and unresponsive. When Puck began to shake her shoulders, he turned her over and saw the splatter mark on her temple. Someone had shot Rachel in the head, barely missing her mask.

His hands began to shake but he realized that he shouldn't take her mask off while the game was still going on around them. "Stop the game! Rachel's down!" In a few seconds, he heard the referee blow his whistle to end the game prematurely.

"Dude, what happened," Mike asked as he came up beside them. Puck looked up and felt his blood boil.

"Somebody fucking shot her in the head and knocked her out! Who's using the orange paint? Who shot her!" His eyes searched the guns around his wildly, looking at each person's ammo hopper for the one using orange paintballs. It wasn't until they landed on Sam's gun that he saw what he was looking for. "Sam what the fuck are you shooting at her head for! You know shit above the neck is off limits!" Sam flinched at Puck's tone but attempted to explain himself anyway.

"I was aiming for her shoulder but she moved at the last second man. I swear I didn't mean to hit her in the head." Puck wanted to scream at his friend, yell at him that if anything happened to Rachel, he would kill him. But before he could say anything, the referee ordered everyone to put the safeties and barrel socks back on their guns. Everyone was muttering about whether or not they should call an ambulance but Puck just wanted them all to shut the hell up.

"Okay everyone just calm down for a second," the ref started in, which only served to make Puck want to punch him right in the jaw. "I'm an EMT. Trust me, she's gonna be fine. This happens more often than you'd think."

"I don't give a shit how many times it happens," Puck snarled at the guy while he checked Rachel's pulse. "It happened to my girlfriend!"

"Kid, relax. It just knocked her out. She'll wake up in a second." Before Puck could retort, Santana stepped into the little circle that had formed around Rachel's body.

"Oh hell no boy, you better wake her ass up right now! Throw water on her face, use smelling salts, I don't care. Just wake her up!" Puck stopped paying attention to Santana's rant once she started using Spanish. Instead, he carefully placed Rachel's head in his lap and stroked the bump where the paintball had hit.

"Come on baby, wake up damn it. I just called you my girlfriend and you weren't even conscious to hear it." Nothing. "Rachel fucking quit it. I'm not kidding. You wake up right now!" It felt like he was yelling into a pillow, to nobody. Mercedes stepped up behind him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Puck," she began tentatively, "maybe we should get her off the field." Puck ignored her, shaking her hand off of his shoulder and continuing to softly rub the bump on Rachel's temple. The paint was smearing along her skin and in her hair.

His finger flinched when Rachel's skin suddenly pressed up against it. He held his breath, everyone did. "Rachel, wake up baby, just please wake up." Her head moved again, eyelids fluttering, and she hummed softly.

"Noah why is my pillow so hard?" Hearing her soft murmur, almost like she was just waking up in the morning, made the thick bubble of tension that had fallen over the group burst into laughter. "Noah my head hurts," she spoke softly again. Puck chuckled when she leaned into his hand, evidently not realizing that it was the reason her head was hurting. She started to sit up but he put his hands on her shoulder to prevent her from doing so too fast.

"Sam shot you in the head Rachel. You passed out, and scared the shit out of me." Her eyes opened a little wider but she turned to where Sam was standing, looking guilty and embarrassed, and airily said,

"That's not very nice Sam. I knew this game was too violent." Tina snickered into Mike's chest.

"Says the girl who got the most shots off in the first game." Rachel smiled sheepishly, knowing that Tina was right.

"Well, I didn't want to get hurt so shooting other people was the only way to ensure that. I guess that doesn't really matter though now, does it?" She turned back to Puck and he tried to hide the worry still etched in his brow. "I'm sorry you were scared Noah." He couldn't help rolling his eyes at her. The girl just got shot in the head with a paintball gun, passed out cold, and she was _apologizing_ for scaring him. Unbelievable.

"Hey you didn't shoot yourself in the head. But yeah, it scared the hell out of me. You not talking? It's way worse than any of your crazy-ass speeches about Broadway and the Tony Awards." She giggled and suddenly he felt her wrap her arms around his neck.

"I'll remember that next time you tell me to shut up." Puck laughed at her but kept his arms around her just a little longer than necessary. It kinda felt like he almost lost her or something, and that was the worst feeling he'd had in a long time.

"Alright, I'm taking you home." That made her back up and stare at him as though he'd just hurt her feelings. "Don't give me that look Rachel. You're insane if you think I'm letting you stay out here and shot again. Besides, that bump's getting bigger and we need to get some ice on it." She looked like she was about to argue so Puck just reached up and applied the slightest amount of pressure to the swollen part of her temple. Rachel hissed through her teeth and shrank back. "See? I'm getting you out of here." She nodded her head then and attempted to stand up. But when she tried, she got a little dizzy about halfway up and plopped right back down on the dirt. As Puck stood up, Santana got Rachel on her feet and held her up. "I got an idea alright." Rachel nodded again and leaned against her friend for support as the trees around her started moving. It was oddly reminiscent of Lord of the Rings.

Puck bent down and picked up both of their guns and, after making sure the barrel socks were secure, criss-crossed the straps around Rachel's shoulders. Other than the fact that she looked like she was about to pass out again, with the guns fixed to her back, she looked even more like some militant princess than she had before. She seemed confused at first until Puck turned around and bent his knees, gesturing for her to hop on.

"Noah, I can walk just fine." Her weak-ass line of reasoning was automatically trumped by the way she swayed.

"Yeah right," Santana snorted. "I'm surprised I'm saying this in this context but Rachel, get on Puck right now." Puck chuckled but was glad that Rachel was convinced. He felt Rachel's hands on his shoulders as she tried to get up on his back. She made the small jump and wrapped her legs around his waist. The whole time Puck was walking back to his truck, he couldn't stop thinking of how many times he'd fantasized about Rachel's legs being wrapped around his waist. Never in a million years had he imagined that it would've happened like it did.

While he was driving back to Rachel's house, Puck kept wondering if he should take her to the hospital just in case. The guy at the paintball field hadn't said anything about her having a concussion but Puck really didn't feel like taking any chances. Rachel insisted that she just needed to take some ibuprofen and lie down with an ice pack.

He helped her into her kitchen and fixed her an ice pack, keeping her in his peripherals while she searched for the headache medicine. She was leaning against the counter when he walked up with the ice in his hands. Rachel closed her eyes and whimpered softly when Puck gently put the ice up to her temple. Her hair was still matted with paint but he wasn't really worried about that. He just wanted to make sure Rachel was okay.

"I uh, I'm sorry about today. You almost getting killed definitely wasn't in my original plans for the date." Rachel laughed and looked up at him through her lashes.

"People say _I'm_ dramatic. You're making it sound much worse than it actually was Noah. Besides, this is not a date I'll be forgetting any time soon. Very memorable—" Her words were cut off by another hiss of pain.

"Damn Rachel, I'm so sorry about this. Just tell me what you want me to do." Rachel huffed a little bit and took the ice pack from him.

"I want you to act normal Noah. Stop fluttering around me like I'm going to break or something. My head is swollen and in pain, yes. I'm a little bit dizzy, yes. But right now, I just want you to make some crude comment like you always do so that I know you'll be okay." Puck licked his lips and thought for a second, trying to figure out the right balance between a comment that would ease her mind and one that would get him slapped.

He placed his hand over hers on the counter and leaned in closer to her body. "I can kiss it and make it better," Puck whispered to her. When Rachel pressed herself just a little closer to him, he was positive that it didn't have a thing to do with dizziness.

"That would be lovely Noah."

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: Hello peoples! Short note for this one so yay if you're reading. I'm sure, if you've read some of my a/n's before, you know about the Dedication Curse. This is what I've named the phenomenon that seems to happen whenever I dedicate anything to anyone, that person seems to disappear. So I've decided that until the Dedication Curse releases the people it's stolen from me, I will refrain from such dedications. I want my people back. Sorry if that makes me a brat but it sucks to hear from people for so long and then they disappear. I don't like it. That's all. I don't own "I Don't Need a Man" or Glee. Please enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>Puck strolled down the hallway after Glee with one thing on his mind. Rachel had already left because of a dance class but he was pretty glad. He didn't want her knowing anything about what he was about to do. When he rounded the corner, his eyes landed on the object of his search, conveniently wheeled up at his locker.<p>

"I know that look Puck," Artie said as he adjusted his glasses. Puck just shrugged his shoulders and attempted to look innocent.

"You're still in A/V club right? Don't you have those old-school projectors and stuff?" Artie continued to eye his friend suspiciously.

"I am and we do." Puck knew that he would have to be straightforward with Artie but he also knew it was a strange request he was about to make.

"Alright look man, I need you to help me steal a projector." As expected, the wheelchair-bound boy's eyes went wide and he began vehemently shaking his head. Staying silent, Artie finished putting his books into his backpack and started to roll away, still shaking his head. "Artie! Come on man, I really need your help right now. You can't leave me hanging like this." Artie quickly spun around and stopped, a very unhappy and unhelpful look on his face.

"You're freaking insane Puck if you think I'm gonna help you steal school property. Look, I'm your boy and all but this is stupid. You're still on probation from the crap you pulled last year dude. Why would I help you do that? Why do you even want a projector of all things? Does Rachel know about this? You know she'd get totally pissed." Puck hung his head when he realized that he was going to have to explain himself.

"Rachel can't find out about this. And not just because she would get pissed. It's _for_ her." Artie's crossed his arms and stared up at Puck.

"Are you giving her a stolen projector for her birthday," the boy deadpanned. Puck released a frustrated groan and backed up against the row of lockers.

"No. I was trying to think of a safe date we could go on after the paintball group thing ended with her getting shot in the fucking head. Even though she was pretty much on board for grinding once I got her home, I still felt bad. Sam's _still_ trying to get her to talk to him. But I figured that we could go somewhere quiet and just watch a movie. That's a little less dangerous." Artie just shook his head again.

"I still don't understand why you want to steal a projector. You can just watch a movie at your house. At her house. Hell, I'll let you borrow _my_ house if it means you'll quit trying to steal stuff." Puck slid down the lockers until he was sitting on the floor in front of his friend.

"Well I wanted to make it kinda special and not just do some Streisand movie like I figure she'd expect. But the movie I decided on is really old and I can only find it on that film stuff that you need a projector to watch. So I figured I'd get you to help me swipe one of the things from the A/V club so I can get my date on." When he finished talking, Puck waited for Artie's reaction. He definitely wasn't expecting the boy to burst out laughing at him. Puck stuck his leg out and kicked one of Artie's wheels. "It's not funny dude. If you're not gonna help me, I'll steal the fucking thing by myself."

"Alright calm down dude. I get it. You want in her Kool-Aid but you gotta bring the sugar." Puck stared blankly at Artie for a moment before replying,

"I don't have damn clue what you just said."

"Don't worry about it. Why don't you just borrow the projector from the A/V club? If you promise me that you'll return it one piece, I'll vouch for you for the club and you can just borrow it whenever your date is." Scratching his head, Puck considered it. Borrowing it would definitely be safer than stealing it.

"I didn't even think about borrowing it. My brain usually automatically goes straight to the road less legal. But that's a bad idea. She called me a klepto the other day just because she caught me trying to sneak a pair of her panties. It was only the third pair so I didn't really get what the big deal was. I guess it couldn't hurt to try and tone down the thievery. You'd really vouch for me though?" Artie shrugged his shoulders with a small smile.

"Sure dude, I trust you. I mean, come on, you asked me before you stole it. That's gotta mean something. And I guess it's for a good cause. Rachel's been legit mellow since you guys started dating so anything I can do to help the cause is fine with me. Besides, if Brittany found out that I didn't help you out, she'd cut _me_ off. She freaking loves you guys together."

Puck stood up and held his fist out for Artie to bump. "Thanks man. I'll owe you." Artie bumped his fist in return but nodded his head.

"Yeah, you will."

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><p>Rachel was in her bathroom brushing her teeth to get ready for bed one night when her phone started playing The Pussycat Dolls' "I Don't Need a Man". She laughed like she always did at her ringtone for Santana and quickly rinsed her mouth out so she could talk.<p>

"Hello Santana, to what do I owe the pleasure of this late night phone call?" Rachel could practically see the roll of her friend's eyes that no doubt accompanied the scoff she heard in response.

"Rach, are you ever gonna say 'hi' like a normal person? Wait, answer this instead. Do you really think you'll be able to keep the Gates of Valhalla closed until this twelve date bullshit is over?" It was Rachel's turn to roll her eyes but she huffed and decided that she should probably lie down for the debate that was coming her way.

"I've explained this to you Santana. From the research I conducted on my own, I deduced that waiting twelve dates before engaging in any major sexual activity will be adequate time to properly build a stable relationship. It isn't, it isn't _bullshit_. It's thorough planning." Rachel heard a soft rustling outside her window but attributed it to the tree that always scratched the glass when the wind blew and turned her attention back to her conversation.

"Thorough planning my ass! I've slept with Puck before Rachel, a lot. Seriously, I'm totally like Fruit Loops gay but I can still admit that sex with Puck is good. I just don't really get why you're torturing yourself like this. And don't even try to pretend that you aren't suffering because I saw that bag from Tantric Treasures last time I was over there. The last time I tried to convince you to get a vibe, you told me that you were doing just fine without one. Don't even get me started on the fact that I'm offended and hurt that you went without me since I am an expert in sex toys and I could've provided crucial assistance in your purchasing. But, now that you seem to need one, I'm going to assume that Puckerman's charms are starting to sway your mind. Or, at the very least, your body. How many times do you think you can change the batteries on that toy before you start _really_ craving the real thing?" Rachel groaned. Of all the people she could possibly be friends with, she had to get the one that was excessively perceptive when it came to _certain_ matters.

"Okay fine," she relented. Denying it would only serve to further confirm Santana's suspicions. "Being with Noah seems to have caused a renaissance of hormones that I find quite distracting at times. I just think it's better to be prepared." Santana just laughed again.

"Uh huh, and how's the boyfriend handling your preparedness?" The question caught Rachel off-guard, one word specifically caught her off-guard.

"What do you mean _boyfriend_?" She and Noah had yet to really discuss what they were to each other. Rachel was very weary of putting any labels on their relationship because that was usually when her relationships went downhill. Downhill was a place she wanted her relationship with Noah to stay very far away from.

"You didn't know," Santana questioned her. "Oh wow you really were out cold. At the paintball field when you got shot and we were all waiting for you to wake up, Puck called you his girlfriend." Rachel couldn't stop the gasp that sounded from her throat.

"But he said he was scared. Maybe he just said it because—" Santana cut her off with another laugh.

"Look sweetie, Puck doesn't just throw that word around. I don't care if he thinks the world is ending, he wouldn't say it if he didn't mean it. We all heard him. I actually thought it was cute. In a totally sickening, made-me-wanna-puke kind of way, but cute." Rachel opened her mouth to reply but she heard a knocking noise coming from her window. When she looked, she still didn't see anything but curiosity got the best of her so she slowly got up from her bed and began walking across the room.

"You're positive that he didn't just say it because he thought," Santana cut her off again, this time with a groan and what sounded like she was banging her cell phone against a hard surface.

"Jesus fucking Christ Rachel! Puck called you his girlfriend. Stop trying to analyze it to death and just accept it already! You want to be his girlfriend anyway so why the hell are you fighting it so much? God you're not supposed to be this stupid." Rachel was only half-way listening to Santana's mocking. It wasn't the tree outside her window making the noise. Rather, the person _in_ the tree outside her window.

"Santana, while appreciate your berating, I'm gonna have to call you back later." Before Santana could start in on another rant, Rachel closed her phone and rushed to the window. Throwing the panes open, she placed her hands on the sill and leaned out. "Noah, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

There, on the branch just outside her bedroom window, Noah was standing as if being in a tree twenty feet above the ground was nothing. He grabbed onto the ledge and stepped down onto the small bench seat in her room.

"I've been climbing trees since I could walk babe. It's totally safe." Rachel tried not to laugh at his bravery, or idiotic lack of self-preservation, but it was futile.

"Is there a reason you're risking your life to sneak into my room late at night?" Noah grinned at that but just leaned in and kissed her lips.

"I'm kidnapping you," he offered simply. Rachel stumbled on her words for a moment too long and Noah quickly grabbed her hand to begin pulling her towards the window.

"Okay freeze," she finally found her words and wrenched her hand away from the boy. "What do you mean you're kidnapping me? And do you really expect me to leave the house looking like this?" Her fingers waved in front of her body with a flourish as she gestured to her pink cupcake tank top and matching pajama pants. "I'm in my pajamas Noah. I don't even have a bra on!" She missed the way his eyes darkened but he'd definitely noticed the way her nipples had hardened.

"I can tell," Noah muttered. Rachel folded her arms across her chest self-consciously but Noah just rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't care what you're wearing. It's comfortable outside so it's not like you're gonna get cold. I've got blankets anyway. Just come with me Rachel. This is supposed to be romantic, like Shakespeare or something." Rachel laughed softly at his pout that she wasn't just going with him no questions asked.

"That scene must have been edited out of _Romeo and Juliet_ because I certainly don't recall a kidnapping." Noah rolled his eyes at her and intensified his pout but stepped closer to her.

"Rach, it won't be a surprise if I have to tell you the whole date just to get you out of your house. You said you trust me, so please come with me." His fingertips trailed down her bare arm until he covered her hand with his. Seriously, this boy was trying to kill her. Rachel's breath was shaky as she looked up and said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Santana said you called me your girlfriend." Noah could sense that she wasn't finished so he waited for the question he'd been expecting since that day at the paintball fields. "Did you mean it?" With a tiny smirk, he bent his head so their noses were touching. He'd never admit it, but he kinda liked that it was _their_ thing.

"Yeah babe, I meant it." The relief he saw in her eyes almost made him chuckle. "Is that all you're worried about? Because I could've called you my girlfriend a lot sooner and we could be down that tree by now." Rachel giggled and pulled back so she could slip into a pair of ballet flats.

"Perhaps saying it while I'm conscious would be a good idea." Noah laughed and nodded his head in agreement. "Oh god I can't believe I'm actually going to sneak out of my house with you. Down a _tree_ no less. I really don't understand the influence you have over me. It can't be healthy." He laughed again and took her hand before stepping back up onto the window seat.

"Don't worry Rachel, I'll be the other white meat. Totally healthy _and_ it won't mess with your whole vegan thing. Besides, we won't get caught like that _other_ couple we know." Rachel giggled while he helped her up. "You've climbed trees before right?"

"Luckily for you Noah, I've climbed this particular one before. Many times. I should be okay. Just in case, you should climb down first so you can catch me if I slip or something. You're pretty good at that." Noah smiled down at her, nodding his head so she knew that he would definitely catch her if he needed to. Rachel kissed him and ushered him back out onto the branch. With a quick glance back to her room, she ignored the beeping phone that had been dropped on her floor and stepped out onto the sturdy branch, curious as to what Noah could possibly have planned.

When Noah's truck pulled into the small parking lot of Lima Community Park, the first thing Rachel saw was the "Park Closes at Dusk Trespassers Will be Prosecuted" sign.

"Um Noah, I don't think we're supposed to be here at night." Noah chuckled and got out of the truck. As he was grabbing a flashlight out of the truck's toolbox, Rachel got out and shut the door. "Noah I'm serious, the sign says the park is closed." For unnecessary emphasis, she pointed at the sign as if to further prove her point.

"Babe, relax. The cops never check the park this late. We'll be fine. Just come on." Rachel let him take her hand as she walked beside him towards a small grove of trees that she knew had a clearing in the middle of them. She fully blamed Noah's influence on her for the gutter-like place that her mind went to in its search for a reason that Noah would be taking her there.

When they got to the clearing however, she was pleasantly surprised. There was a plaid flannel blanket that literally looked like it was made from the shirts they'd worn for the "Sing" performance laying flat on the ground with lanterns at its four corners to keep it from possibly blowing away. In front of the blanket, there was an old film projector pointed towards a sheet that was suspended between two of the trees in the small clearing. She could see a basket that she assumed held some sort of snacks for them to munch on. It all seemed so romantic and unexpected. As she smiled up at Noah, his returning grin had a smug edge to it but he chuckled and said,

"I didn't even steal any of this stuff. Well, except for the basket. That's Dani's but she won't miss it right now. So what do you think?" Rachel quickly wrapped her arms around his torso.

"It's lovely Noah. What are we watching?" She walked over and curled her legs under her body while Noah stepped over to the projector to start it.

"Well when I first thought about having some sort of movie night, I was gonna pick some Barbra movie that you've probably seen fifty billion times since birth. But, I wanted something different. I remembered this movie I saw when I was a little kid called "The Five Pennies". It's about this cornet player in the 1920s that moves to New York to make it big. He ends up meeting this singer and they form their own band. I'm not gonna tell you anymore or it'll ruin it but I thought it'd be pretty cool." Rachel smiled to herself as the light from the projector illuminated the sheet.

"It sounds wonderful Noah." While he was making sure the film was running correctly, Rachel grabbed the basket because she was feeling nosy. Inside the basket, there was a small bag of cookies from her favorite bakery. The baker was a personal friend of her fathers' and he always made vegan chocolate chip cookies special for her. She'd taken a bag to school with her lunch once and Noah had stolen half of the bag before she told him they were vegan. He'd refused to admit that he'd liked them after that but had still asked where she got them. Rachel had honestly never expected him to remember that. He'd also packed a couple of sandwiches that looked like peanut butter and jelly. There were some water bottles in the basket as well and Rachel just wanted to smile at the whole set up.

While the credits were rolling at the beginning, Noah pulled the basket in between them and started pulling items out. He handed her one of the sandwiches with a grin.

"I used strawberry jelly because it was all we had at the house but it tastes really good. I like it, but then again I usually like _berry_ stuff." Rachel rolled her eyes but still giggled.

"That was incredibly cheesy Noah. But I like strawberry jelly too so it's just fine." The intro music started as Rachel took a bite out of her sandwich and she scooted a little closer to Noah, settling in to watch the movie.

About halfway through the movie, neither one of them were paying attention to the movie anymore. Somehow, during the course of an hour, Rachel wound up between Noah's legs with his arms around her midsection. Rachel had laughed at a line in the film and turned around to see if Noah was laughing too. He'd taken the opening and kissed her. That action only deepened into a full-on make out session.

Rachel immediately found herself on her back with the movie playing and forgotten in the background. Noah flicked his tongue against her pulse and sucked. It wasn't hard enough to mark her but the feel of his mouth on her skin was enough to make Rachel moan softly into the night. His kiss moved back to her lips and she found her hands fisting in his shirt. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip while his fingers played at the ribbon of skin between her tank top and her pajama pants. The calloused fingertips sent a chill through her body and she just wanted _more_. Rachel pulled back from his lips and gasped out a breath,

"Touch me Noah, please just touch me." She could tell he was surprised by her request but she still felt his hand inching up her skin. When his hand gently cupped her breast, she shivered. He tweaked her nipple and Rachel lost all concentration. Her grip on his shirt tightened and she searched out his mouth once more. The way he kneaded her body, firm but caring, made her want to feel more. Being outside was exhilarating, Noah's touch was sending her body into a frenzy, and the soft sounds they were both making mixed together creating this oddly perfect music to her ears. Her hips shifted slightly but Noah just tugged a little harder on her nipple. "Noah, your hands are so," but she couldn't finish her sentence or her thought because he nipped at her lip and made her mind go blank. It was an effect she was growing accustomed to with him.

Suddenly, Noah's hand froze on her breast, his body became tense over hers. "Shh," he whispered against her lips and Rachel opened her eyes. The moment she did, Noah's face was harshly illuminated by a flashlight. "Hey Officer Randolph, what's up?" Officer? _Officer_! Rachel's mind suddenly woke up once more, screaming at her to get up. The boy on top of her somewhat prevented that action however.

"Puckerman get your ass up!" Noah discretely removed his hand from under her top and stood up. He held his hand out to help Rachel up but she kind of just wanted to lay there and die.

"I told you we weren't supposed to be here at night," she hissed. When she turned around to look at the policeman, she tried to hold her head high and quell the utter embarrassment building up inside her. The man looked to be around the same age as her fathers and blond. He was a few inches shorter than Noah but just as muscular.

"Look man," Noah started, and Rachel wasn't surprised that Noah seemed to personally know the officer, "just let me get everything cleaned up and we'll be out of here. No problems okay?" Officer Randolph stepped a little closer to them and put his hands on his hips.

"Give me one reason Puckerman, just one, why I shouldn't take you and your little girlfriend here downtown on charges of trespassing and public indecency." Rachel gasped at the thought of possibly being arrested for anything. She looked up at Noah, feeling the tears forming in her eyes and threatening to fall and he seemed to kick into action.

Puck stepped over to the side and motioned for Officer Donald Randolph to follow him. There were times when Puck would swear that when he was born, Lima PD implanted him with a microchip or something that allowed the cops to know whenever he was doing something on the other side of the law. The freaking boys in blue were never too far away. Most times he was able to elude them without much difficulty, except for that whole ATM thing which was admittedly a bad idea in the first place. Most times when the cops got in the way, he didn't have a girl beneath him practically begging for him to touch her. And of course, he'd only ever dreamed that _that_ girl would be Rachel.

"I was just trying to do something cool for my girlfriend. It's not like we were tagging the concession stand or anything. We were watching a movie and we started making out. It wasn't gonna go any further than that, I swear. And she's about two seconds from freaking out right now so could you just let me take her back home so she doesn't get in trouble? She's never been in trouble with the cops before and I'd really like her to still talk to me after this." Puck glanced back at Rachel, who was shifting from one foot to the other and biting her bottom lip nervously. A couple tears had already trickled down her cheeks but she wasn't crying yet. It was pretty evident that she was really close though.

"Puck you know the park closes at dusk. Do you realize how much trouble you could get into being out here? Your probation isn't over for another couple of months so you're still on thin ice." The officer stared at him for a second and shook his head. "Look, your girl looks like she's about to burst into tears so I'm gonna let you off with a warning right now. But if I catch you out here again this late, I'm hauling your ass in. You don't need anything like what happened last year when you went off your rocker and stole that ATM."

Rachel watched as Noah spoke with the police officer. She couldn't help that she was practically chewing on her lip or that tears were attempting to spill over her eyes. If she got in trouble with the law, she was positive that she could kiss any future as a Broadway starlet goodbye. This was exactly the type of thing that gossip rags would find and blow out of proportion with the only intention of tarnishing her reputation and creating a scandal. She couldn't allow that to happen. Just as she steeled her nerves and mentally prepared her speech to persuade the officer to let them go, he clapped Noah on the shoulder and gave her a nod before walking away. Noah walked back to her and she looked at him curiously.

"Noah what just happened? That policeman was about to arrest us and he just walked away. Explain, now." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the blanketed ground. Noah just stepped around her and began to pack up the projector. "Noah, don't ignore me. Ten minutes ago, your hand was up my shirt and then that cop came and he was going to arrest us but now you're packing everything up." He stood up straight once he got the projector back into its case and looked at Rachel.

"I've had a couple run-ins with Officer Randolph before. He's actually the only cop in Lima that's not a total douche. He's letting us go because you looked like you were about to have a come apart and he hates making chicks cry. But we gotta leave now before he changes his mind. Look, I'm sorry this happened Rach. Tonight was supposed to be awesome and I probably fucked it up but, if you're still talking to me tomorrow I think it's a win." Rachel couldn't stop the smile on her face as she looked up at him.

"I wouldn't just stop talking to you Noah. And if I disregard the fact that we could very well be sitting in a jail cell right now, it was a wonderful evening. Just please refrain from tempting me to a life of crime in the future. I'm clearly not cut out for it." She bent down and picked up the basket then stepped off of the blanket so Noah could fold it up. Rachel met his gaze, after he threw the blanket over his shoulder instead of folding it, and grinned cheekily at him. "Admittedly, there were some parts I wouldn't mind repeating."

"You're gonna kill me Rachel. I better get you home before you start something that _will_ get us arrested." She giggled and he put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on babe."

When Puck parked his truck about a block away from Rachel's house, he breathed a sigh of relief. He met her on the other side of the truck only to be met with a confused look from her.

"What? You're in _pajamas_ Rachel. You can't walk to your house alone in the middle of the night, or morning, whatever time it is right now." He took her hand and headed up the sidewalk towards her house.

The tree outside Rachel's bedroom window felt like a finish line when she finally touched her hand to the bark. "Noah can you give me a boost?" Puck saw it as a perfect opportunity to grope Rachel some more and it made her giggle softly when she felt his hands on her rear end. As she was climbing back up the tree, she kept thinking that despite the snag of the authorities, it had been a nice night. Noah had picked an excellent movie to watch, even though they only made it through half of it, but she couldn't even be mad about that because he was an expert with his mouth. And then his hands…just thinking about what they'd done in the park almost made her miss a branch and slip. She already wanted more of that, but she couldn't figure out a way to ask for it without undermining the foundation she was trying to build with Noah.

Puck watched as Rachel stepped into the window of her room and he quickly hoisted himself up on the branch to do the same so he could say good-night. For some reason, she hadn't moved from the front of the bench. When he found his footing on the window sill, he saw the reason. _You've gotta be fucking kidding me_, he thought to himself. Sitting on Rachel's bed, looking pissed as hell, were both of her dads.

Nathan, the bald one, immediately stood up and crossed his arms.

"Rachel Barbra Berry where the hell were you? We were worried sick about you! What on earth would possess you to sneak out in the middle of the night like this? What is wrong with you?" Rachel swallowed thickly and blinked from her dad to her daddy and back again, still frozen. "Well," Nathan prompted, "spit it out young lady."

"Dad," she started, "Noah had a surprise date for me." It was David's turn to stand up, his dark brow raised high and arms crossed as well.

"In the middle of the night," he questioned. Rachel stepped forward, leaving Noah standing as still as possible by the open window, as though if he didn't move he could suddenly summon powers of invisibility.

"That was part of the surprise," Rachel explained in a hushed tone. "He's a romantic at heart and he got the idea to sneak me out of my window at night for a movie date in the park. I went with him of course and we had a lovely time. I understand that you're both very angry with me but I just ask that you remember that this will be my first offence. And please don't blame Noah. He was only doing it for me in the first place. I'm sorry." Rachel fixed her face to look as pitiful as she could and even mustered up a few drops of moisture to make her eyes really glisten. Both Nathan and David stared her down, as if they were having a strange battle of wits to see who would crack first. The men blinked first and David sighed, frustrated.

"You're grounded for a week Rachel. You go to school, your dance classes and vocal lessons, and you come home. No visitors," he shot a look at Noah, "and no dates. Your dad and I understand that romance can make you do stupid things such as sneaking out of the house until three in the morning. That and the fact that this is the first time you've done anything like this are the only reasons your punishment isn't more severe. Do you understand?" Rachel sniffed just to lay it on a bit thicker and nodded her head.

"Yes daddy." Nathan placed his fingers on his temples and rubbed.

"I'm going to have wrinkles from this night. Rachel, walk Noah to the door to keep him out of that damn tree. Last thing we need is him falling and breaking something." Without a word, Rachel turned and grabbed Noah's hand and bolted for her bedroom door. "We're getting that thing cut down immediately," was that last thing she heard as she sprinted down the stairs with Noah in tow.

They stopped at the door and, even though she'd just been grounded, she still giggled softly.

"Well, this night totally didn't turn out like I was hoping it would. Your dads are probably gonna call my mom now so I'll be grounded with you by tomorrow." Rachel put her finger up to his lips to quiet him and inched her body closer to his.

"I think it was worth it. Plus, I now have experience with many youthful discrepancies to draw from later on in my career." Noah chuckled and slipped his hand over her hip. He was honestly relieved that she didn't seem very upset about the path the night had taken. He made a mental note that when he was remembering that night in the future, he would just stop the memory where his hand had been covering one of her perfect boobs and it had all seemed like the Holy Land was at his fingertips. Suddenly, Rachel started giggling again and he looked at her curiously.

"What's so funny?" She shook her head a little bit and leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a feather-light kiss that made him certain that impulse control must be a tool of Satan because it was killing him right then.

"I was just thinking. You're supposed to be such an expert in sneaking in and out of places. I guess your record is pretty much shot now huh."

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: Well the curse has not returned those whom it has taken from me yet so I shall continue my 'no dedications' run. However, a wonderful girl gave me the idea to use "Kiwi" in this story and I really wanted to do it. You know who you are bb! Hearts! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I don't own Glee or "Kiwi" by Maroon 5. Thanks for reading! Please review!**

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><p>The solo was finally sounding right. Not being able to see Rachel after school for a whole freaking week had left Puck with some time on his hands.<p>

Just as he'd suspected, her dads had called his mom to inform her of what had happened. But of course, because of Sarah Puckerman's love for Rachel Berry, he didn't really get into that much trouble. The main problem ended up being that Rachel wasn't allowed out so he'd had to figure out other ways to fill his free time. He could only play video games with the guys so much before they got boring.

So his guitar had become his bitch for the last couple of days. One song refused to leave him alone and he blamed it all on Rachel. Instead of just learning the solo, he had to learn the whole damn song. Rachel letting him feel her up in the park had been bittersweet. On one hand, it was fucking awesome that she trusted him with that because he knew it was a big deal for her. It was also awesome because her boobs are incredible, they seriously just _fit_ right in his palm. But on the other hand, now he just wanted more and there was no way he could ask for it without making Rachel think he was only with her for that. Ever since her punishment took effect, every fucking song that had any hint of a sexual connotation only made him think of her. Which was pretty much his entire music collection. Fuck.

Puck had his electric guitar in his lap, strumming the song from memory, when his phone starting vibrating on the bedspread. Even if she was the reason for his frustration, he couldn't help smiling when he saw Rachel's name and photo across the screen.

"Hey baby, aren't you gonna get in trouble for calling me?" Her responding giggle forced him to adjust his boxers.

"Well Noah, my punishment ends tomorrow and I've spent all week thinking about a date we could go on in order to celebrate. But, I'm not going to tell you my idea because I feel as though I owe you for surprising me last week. And also, I just realized that the conditions of my punishment never included phone calls so we could've been having phone conversations all week long." Puck noticed how fast she was talking and he briefly wondered if she'd had caffeine before calling him or if she was just excited about talking to him.

"Your dads are really bad about this whole grounding thing. It's like they've never punished you before or something. So what's up?" Rachel took a breath, it almost sounded hesitant, before she replied.

"I guess I kind of missed you. I know it's stupid because we saw each other at school but I didn't really get to talk to you that much. I like hearing your voice." Puck sat up against his headboard and grinned into his phone. Just to mess with her a little bit, he lowered his voice and said,

"Tell me what you like about it." He totally wasn't expecting the soft whimper he got in return but he took it. In a very obvious change of subject, she asked,

"So what are you doing?" Puck chuckled but answered her question anyway.

"Messing around on the guitar, learning some new stuff." That was apparently the perfect opening she needed. He could almost see her plopping down on her bed and swinging her legs behind her.

"That's fantastic Noah. What were you playing before I called?" Puck seriously contemplated lying to her, only because he knew exactly how the conversation would go if he told the truth. But he couldn't outright lie to her, it made his stomach feel sick.

"Some Maroon 5," he answered. Keeping it vague wasn't lying, but he should've expected the line of questioning.

"Ooh I like them. You'll have to work on your falsetto though. Adam Levine's voice isn't as deep as yours. What song are you working on?" He hung his head and chuckled quietly.

"It's just one I haven't been able to get out of my head since the other night. Don't worry about it," he hedged. That only made her more suspicious because he wouldn't just tell her the song.

"Well I listen to a lot of their songs. At least tell me what it's about and I could figure it out from there." Rachel wasn't going to give up until she knew the song. He knew that. She was relentless and all he was really doing was dangling a challenge in front of her. Puck decided to at least make it a little difficult for her.

"Alright, it's about eating out." That clue could be taken two ways and he knew that she wouldn't immediately think of the right one.

"At a restaurant?" Puck laughed out loud but didn't confirm or deny her question. Rachel huffed and continued. "They don't have a song like that Noah. Most of their music is littered with sexual overtones and innuendo. I honestly believe that Adam is a bit of a nymphomaniac. Wait, what did you say the song was about?" He laughed again and shook his head, almost having fun with torturing her.

"I said it's about eating out, and it has nothing to do with food no matter what the title says." He heard her hum as though she was still trying to figure it out. When her gasp sounded in his ears though, he knew she didn't have to try anymore.

"Oh my god Noah, 'Kiwi'? It's 'Kiwi' isn't it? Now I feel like a moron for asking about a restaurant." She paused for a second but when she started up again, her voice was smaller, as though she'd really realized what 'other night' he was referring to. "Our night in the park makes you think of _that_ song?" She didn't sound freaked out, that was a plus.

"Yeah, kinda. It's just, to go from my hand up your shirt to only being able to kiss you between classes, it hasn't really been an easy week alright. So I figured that while I couldn't hang out with you when I wanted to, I'd just learn some new songs. But I can't quit thinking about that night and every damn song I learn just gives me more ideas of stuff I wanna do with you. But I've been playing 'Kiwi' for three hours straight now because it seems to fit in my head better than the rest of them." He heard her stuttering for a second and it kind of worried him. Puck knew most of her limits with stuff, and talking openly about sex wasn't exactly high on her 'Totally Comfortable With…' list.

"You want to do that to me," she sounded surprised, but there was curiosity in her tone as well.

"One day," he replied, "when you're ready. When you let me. Yeah, it's definitely something I wanna do." Something clattered on her end, like she'd dropped her phone or broken something in her room. "Rach, everything okay?"

"Yes," she squeaked, her voice breathy and pitched, "I'm just fine Noah." She hummed again, but it was more of a nervous hum to fill the silence. He wondered for just a second if he'd pushed her too far but then he realized that her nervous hum had morphed into a familiar tune.

"Are you humming 'Kiwi' now," he questioned, an almost smug timbre to his voice. "You _are_! So does that mean you're thinking about it? About my mouth, my tongue, my—" Rachel started babbling and making completely random noises in an effort to tune him out. Puck started laughing again and she huffed. He was also pretty sure she kicked something because he heard another clatter.

"Quit it Noah, I'm already going to have trouble sleeping now with that song in my head. This isn't fair. I called you because I wanted to talk to you but you've managed to completely turn it around on me." Puck tucked his free hand behind his head and continued to balance his Gibson on his legs.

"You've had me turned around for a while Rachel so the way I see it, it's totally fair." Rachel rolled her eyes but still smiled at the sentiment he presented. It was nice to know that she seemed to have the same effect on him as he had on her.

"I'm going to hang up now before you start saying things pertaining to the song again. I don't think my body could handle it." Puck groaned at the thought of what her body could handle, of the day when he could test those limits, when she was ready. The journey promised to be fun. With a grin on his face, he cheekily replied,

"Sweet dreams Rachel."

Rachel closed her cell phone and laid flat on her bed. The more she stared up at the ceiling, the more the song stayed in her head. She couldn't take it anymore. Grabbing her iPod from its dock on her bedside table, she quickly scrolled down to the song. Rachel thought that if she listened to it a couple of times, she could go to sleep and not be bothered by it anymore. But when the last thing you hear before succumbing to sleep is _"your juices dripping down my chin"_, it tends to stay with you.

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><p><em>Noah pressed a gentle kiss to her inner thigh, just inches from her lips, and moved to do the same on the other side. When he sucked on the skin just lightly enough to make her crave more, Rachel couldn't really help the petulant way she thrashed her head back on her pillow. He licked a slow strip up her center and she was positive that nothing had ever felt as good. Then, of course, he proved her wrong. Her back arched off of the bed when Noah's tongue flicked against her clit and she yelled words that were generally reserved to his vocabulary. She felt like her body had started out as this candle's flame and he'd just doused it in gasoline. He splayed a hand across her inner thigh and opened her legs wider, delving his tongue inside her. It curled, and licked, and lapped, all the while his finger ceaselessly tapped on her sensitized nerve endings, the combination of it all made her feel helpless and at his mercy. When he moved his tongue back up to her clit, he slipped two fingers along her slickened folds. She gasped when they scissored inside her, listening to and feeling his satisfied chuckle vibrate against her. Noah sucked on the little nub a little harder, making Rachel release a wanton moan from the back of her throat. As his tongue left its place and traveled up, circling her navel before dipping inside, she tried to focus on his fingers instead of the beautiful hazel eyes suddenly obstructing her view. His jaw was right there, so close that if she stuck her tongue out she could probably trail the length of it, but she found herself completely useless at doing anything more than enjoying his ministrations on her body. He stared at her intently for just a moment before he whispered softly, <em>

_"I want you come for me Rachel." He pressed a kiss to her jaw and repeated, "come for me." He kissed her again, this time on the lips, and she could taste herself on his tongue. Her muscles clenched on their own around his digits and she could feel that edge coming faster, like the swell of a storm surge or the crescendo of a note, and she knew she wasn't prepared but she wanted it more than anything at that point. "I want to feel you around me when you let go baby. I'm gonna make you feel so good." His hardened length was pushing against her thigh and the sigh that left her lips was far more breathy that she'd intended. Her breathy sighs became incoherent mumblings of how talented and long his tongue and fingers were. She stared up at his lips and had the biggest urge to kiss him again._

_"I need it Noah. Make me feel good. I want you, more of you, it just feels so amazing. Please god I need you inside me now." He pulled back with a grin on his face, pushing his fingers inside her as deep as he could, those long calloused fingers that promised the release she craved, and opened his mouth._

_"Rachel, you're going to be late for school." She paused at that, staring at him for a moment before he said it again. "Rachel sweetie, if you don't get up right now, you'll be late for school." That wasn't Noah's smooth melodic voice, not his voice at all…_

Rachel wrenched her eyes open and sat straight up in bed. It was all a _dream_? It'd felt so _real_, and she couldn't really figure out if that was a good or bad thing. She looked over at her alarm clock and saw that she had about one hour to get ready for school. She groaned and shifted to get out of bed, a familiar ache still pulsing between her thighs. If she rushed through her shower and skipped breakfast, she could make it to school just before first period. It wasn't ideal but she could do it. Marring her attendance record because of a dream, no matter how incredible it had been, would not be tolerated in the slightest.

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><p>Puck was starting to get just a little worried. Rachel was always early to school, like <em>always<em>. So when he'd pulled into the parking lot that morning and didn't see her car in its usual spot, he tried to remember if she'd said anything about something being wrong with her car. She hadn't. When he walked in and didn't immediately see her standing at his locker waiting for him like she usually was in the mornings, he wasn't really sure what to think.

"Hey where's Berry? She's not answering any of my texts, it's weird." He turned and saw Santana next to him, worry carefully hidden just beneath the surface of her features.

"I don't know. She hasn't shown up yet?" Santana rolled her eyes at his question.

"Didn't I _just_ say that Puck?" Just then, as the bell was ringing to signal for students to go to the first class of the day, Rachel walked hurriedly through the doors. Both Puck and Santana looked her way. She stopped at her locker and quickly got her books.

"Rachel, you okay? What's going on?" The look on her face when she looked up at him, it was hard to describe. On the surface, there was frustration which he guessed was because she was running late. She _hated_ to be late. But mixed with her frustration, it almost looked like embarrassment or something close to it. That was weird. What could she be embarrassed about?

"Noah, Santana, I really need to get to class. I'll see you both at lunch." And with that, she walked away from them quickly en route to her first period class. Suddenly, Santana punched him in the arm.

"What did you do Puck," she growled. Puck rubbed his arm and glared at her.

"I didn't do shit Lopez. She was fine when I talked to her last night. She called me about going out to celebrate her punishment ending." Puck left out the whole 'Kiwi' ordeal just to save himself another punch in the arm. Santana pursed her lips with her arms crossed and popped her hip out.

"Mmhmm, so are you gonna tell me why she just looked at you like it was your fault she's late? Whatever, I'll find out. See you at lunch." Puck stood there for a second, wondering what just happened. Was his girlfriend _actually_ mad at him because she was late to school? It wasn't his fault, was it?

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><p>"Hey B, what's going on with you today?" Santana had followed Rachel into the bathroom, intent on getting to the bottom of her friend's strange behavior. Rachel had refused to say a word about it in the second period class they shared with each other. And now that they had a ten minute break between classes, Santana wasn't letting her leave that bathroom until she had the details. She'd lock the tiny diva in a stall if she had to.<p>

"I don't want to talk about it Santana." Rachel went into a stall to get away but Santana just moved to block the door.

"That's just too damn bad Rach. You're not going anywhere until you tell me why you've been acting weird since you walked through those front doors this morning. So either do what you do best and open that mouth of yours or get comfortable in there because I have no problem with skipping classes." Santana could hear Rachel's belligerent exhale from behind the door. When the lock clicked, she shot her hand up to hold it shut. "You gonna talk?" Tiny fingers slapped at her hand but Santana just gripped tighter. "I'm not letting you out of there unless you agree to tell me what's going on." Rachel stopped slapping her hand but remained silent. Santana just glared at the closed door and tightened her grip even more. Unless Rachel wanted to crawl on the disgusting bathroom floor to get out, her cute little ass was staying in that stall until she talked.

"Ugh! I hate you right now Santana!" The Latina laughed almost evilly but shook her head at the girl that was obstructed from view.

"You love me. Now talk." A minute passed before she heard a soft reply, too soft to understand. "What was that?"

"I said fine! I'll tell you, just let me out of here." Santana took her hand off of the door but remained in front of it just in case her friend decided to bolt. When Rachel opened the door and tried to walk out of the stall only to see that Santana was in her way, she rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to make a run for it. The intimidation tactic is wholly unnecessary." Santana moved out of her path, but conveniently positioned herself between the bathroom door and the girl.

"Okay spill, why were you late this morning, why did you give Puck a look like you wanted to poke him in the stomach, and why are you being so defensive and catty today? Catty is one of _my_ identifiers, not yours. What's the deal?" Rachel lifted her gaze to meet Santana's for just a moment, and then fiddled with a loose thread on her blouse.

"Last night, I called Noah. Towards the end of our conversation, he told me that he'd been playing a song that made him think of our date in the park. When I asked him what the song was, he told me that it was 'Kiwi' from Maroon 5." Santana grinned. She knew that song, _very_ well. It was on a very specific playlist on her iPod.

"So Puck's been thinking about going down on you. That's not really surprising. You're his girlfriend and you're fucking hot. Hell, _I've_ thought about going down on you before." Rachel's cheeks flushed a soft pink but she squared her shoulders, suddenly determined to get through the story.

"But after he told me that, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I mistakenly thought that I could listen to the song a couple of times before I went to sleep and it would get out of my head. The only thing that accomplished was ensuring that I had a very vivid dream about Noah, thus causing me to miss my alarm this morning, forget my lunch, and possibly look at Noah with some small amount of anger when I saw him earlier because it's his fault that I had that dream in the first place." A slow smirk crossed Santana's mouth and she stepped closer to Rachel.

"I wanna hear more about this dream. Must have been pretty incredible if it made _you_ late to school." Rachel groaned, annoyed at Santana for not really helping the situation but annoyed at herself for, well for being in the situation to begin with. In frustration, she leaned against one of the sinks and sighed.

"It _was_ incredible. He was, well he was," she paused, desperately not wanting to say it. Santana chuckled.

"He was eating you out. One day you're gonna have to say it. Puck was eating you out." Rachel's blush deepened and she shook her head furiously so her hair covered her face.

"Stop it Santana, it sounds so crude when you say it like that. But yes, that's what he was doing. It's just, it felt so real. Like if I'd just opened my eyes, he would've been there in my room, doing that. And I didn't want him to stop, ever. But then I woke up and he wasn't there, I was late getting out of bed and therefore late to school, I forgot my lunch at home so I have to eat whatever vegetable plate the school has and there's no telling whose hands have been all over that broccoli. How can one dream have me this out of sorts! And when I look at him now, all I'm going to be able to think about is what it felt like when he was between my legs. I'm not supposed to be like this Santana! I've worked very hard to not be a slave to my hormones but he just makes it impossible!" She took a labored breath at the end of her small rant and watched as Santana nodded her head sagely. Rachel waited for advice, even though she knew she probably wouldn't actually like hearing it.

"Rach, chill out. Puck would probably be stoked if you told him you had a wet dream about him. You weren't actually late for school, just later than you usually get here. And I'm pretty sure you'll be fine eating a salad from the school for one day. As for the hormones, I'm a very happy slave to mine. Puck would probably kill me if I tried to help you with yours anyway so I'll just leave that up to him. Trust me, it'll be fine. You should get used to those dreams though. They don't go away. At all." Rachel groaned in frustration once more and looked helplessly at Santana. The darker girl just laughed again and didn't offer any other guidance. "Come on, I wanna see you blush when you see Puck in our next class." Rachel slapped at the hand that Santana held up between them to pull her out of the bathroom.

"I still hate you," she muttered once they were in the hallway. The comment received nothing but a prompt scoff.

* * *

><p>As soon as Rachel sat down beside Noah with her salad, that looked at least a day old and utterly disgusting, she hoped that the day couldn't possibly get worse. Noah kissed her cheek but she still couldn't bring herself to look at him. He noticed.<p>

"Did I piss you off or something," he asked bluntly, plopping his hands down on the table, "because you haven't looked at me or said a thing to me all day. If you're gonna be mad at me, I think you should at least warn me." Rachel hung her head and took a bite of the wilted lettuce.

"I'm not mad at you Noah. And I'm sorry for how I've treated you today but I would really rather not go into it right now. I'm not angry though, not at you, I promise." To further emphasize her point, she quickly pressed her lips to his. He still looked suspicious but a little more at ease.

She refocused her attention on her salad and almost blanched just looking at it. Rachel knew that she hadn't eaten all day and it would do her no good to skip breakfast and lunch in the same day. Steeling her nerves and stomach, she forked another lettuce leaf and a piece of cauliflower into her mouth, forcing it down her throat. She thought about drowning it in dressing just to see if that would help the taste. Every bite was followed by a swig of water, just a feeble effort to convince the 'food' to stay down.

Once Rachel started to talk with her other friends at the table and forget about the plate in front of her, it wasn't so bad. One day without her homemade vegetable Stromboli wouldn't kill her. She could do it.

Two hours later, she found herself partnered with Sam for a dance number during Glee. The spins were about to kill her. Her stomach felt like it was trying to leap out of her body each time she moved. The group was taking a water break when she looked up at Sam and felt even woozier.

"I need some air," she mumbled just before she ran out of the choir room.

The second she got into the hallway, Rachel decided that she needed to go home. There would only more practicing of spins that would only make her dizzy again. The nauseous feeling wasn't going away and she was honestly terrified of getting sick at school. She would text Noah later and inform him of what was going on so he wouldn't worry.

As Rachel was hastily grabbing books out of her locker, she heard heavy footsteps behind her. When she turned, expecting to see Noah's familiar hazel eyes looking down at her (and honestly preparing herself for the flashes of her dream to assault her the way they'd been doing all day long), she was honestly surprised to see the floppy blonde hair loosely hanging in front of bright green eyes instead.

"Look Rachel," he began, a harsh tone bleeding into his voice, "it's been like two weeks since I _accidentally_ shot you in the head. I get that you were mad at me but I honestly don't know how many more times I can tell you that I'm sorry about that. You keep giving me the silent treatment and walking out of Glee whenever we're partnered up and I really just think it's stupid. Mercedes told me to be nice and let you have your space to get over it but this is just stupid. I thought we were kind of friends but if you're gonna hold on to something like this for this long after I've apologized no telling how many times, I just don't think it's gonna work. I'll ask Mr. Shue for a different partner if you can't seem to get through one little routine with me."

During his whole speech, Rachel could feel the bile rising in her throat. She'd forgiven Sam, perhaps she'd failed to actually tell him that he was forgiven, but that was beside the point. Rachel felt bad that he'd apparently been hurt by her unintentional rejection but she just couldn't care at the moment. She was far too focused on the vomit hurling up her esophagus. Sam's face went from slight anger to slight concern in an instant as he stared back at her.

"Um, are you alright? You look like you're about to hurl." Almost on cue, practically as the words left his mouth, the vomit left hers. Sam's chest and torso were immediately covered in slimy green goo that dripped down his body and deafeningly onto the floor. Rachel covered her mouth with her hand but it was already too late. The damage was done. She knew exactly how he felt and it wasn't a feeling she'd ever wish on anyone. But the feeling in her stomach hadn't gone away yet. What if there was more? She needed to get away.

"Oh my god Sam I am so sorry!" He was frozen in shock it seemed. When he finally looked back at her after studying himself covered in puke, he asked only one question.

"Can we please be even now?"

* * *

><p>He knew that breaking into Rachel's house, especially after the whole tree fiasco, probably wasn't the best idea. But if he knew where the spare key to the back door was, it wasn't really 'breaking in' right?<p>

Rachel hadn't answered any of his texts or calls since she hadn't come back for the rest of Glee practice the day before. But one look at the _Exorcist_ job she'd pulled on Sam and he didn't really need an explanation. She didn't show up for school that day and he was getting worried about her. So, Puck left school early, bullshitting the nurse into thinking that he had a bad stomachache so she would give him a pass, and headed home. He knew that, vegan or not, Rachel would eat chicken noodle soup when she was sick. Her dads had let that slip once. His mom made the best chicken noodle soup around and she'd just made a fresh batch the night before. Once he had her food packed up so it wouldn't spill in his truck on the way to her house, he drove over and parked on the street out front.

Walking up her driveway on his way to the back of the house, Puck looked up towards Rachel's window. It wasn't blocked by the tree anymore. Her dads had made good on their promise to have it cut down. It made him chuckle softly as he opened the gate that lead to the back yard.

There was a trick to the back door. The key was really old so the only way it would actually work to open the door was if you knew the right way to jiggle the handle. Luckily, Rachel had showed him when they were younger and his mom had dragged him to the Berry house for a Seder. That was just the kind of thing that stayed with a kid. He got into the kitchen and sat the soup down in the refrigerator for later. Once he stuck the key back outside where it was supposed to go, he headed up the stairs to Rachel's room.

There were crackers sitting beside a bottle of ginger ale on her night stand. She was lying on top of her comforter clutching a small pillow to her stomach, sound asleep. Her hair was wild around her head and looked like she had gone to sleep with it wet. But the one thing that really stuck out to him was the fact that she was wearing a tiny little white baby-doll tee and hot pink boy shorts. Her legs just kept going it seemed. Even sick, she was so fucking hot. It wasn't even fair how hot she was.

She began to stir on her bed and he expected her to freak out once her eyes landed on him. But instead, she stared up at him and cleared her throat.

"Noah, I'm cold," was the only thing she said at first. "Keep me warm." Hell, there was no way he could say no to that. After he kicked his shoes off, he slid her little trash can over to the side of her bed because he wasn't exactly sure how sick she still was. Puck grabbed the blanket folded up at the foot of her bed and laid down behind her so they were spooning. When the blanket was covering their bodies, Rachel mumbled, "I like the mole on your cheek. I'm going to kiss it one day." He laughed softly at her delirious ramblings but wasn't gonna tell her she couldn't. Puck had never heard anything like that before from any girl but with Rachel, it was perfectly fine.

"I'll let you do that when you feel better. Go back to sleep baby."

An hour later, Rachel opened her eyes with a groan. She reached for her bottle of ginger ale only to find her movements restricted by a strong arm around her shoulders. The soothing scent of the soap that Noah used filled her nostrils and she turned her head to see him lying there beside her breathing softly. He was awake and smiling at her. Rachel pulled away and sat up. Her clock informed her that he should've still been in school.

"What are you doing here Noah? How did you get in?" He rolled over and out of her bed, stretching where he stood before answering.

"I heard about you throwing up on Sam yesterday. Which, by the way, I'm kind of mad I missed it. But anyway, you weren't answering my text messages so I figured you were still sick. They made an announcement at school about the cauliflower yesterday being bad and I remembered you eating that yesterday. That's probably why you're sick. I brought you some of my mom's chicken noodle soup. Yeah I'm skipping school for you but I don't care. And I got in through the back door which is kind of your fault for teaching me how to do that. If you think about it, you probably had a hand in the beginning of my delinquent streak. Are you feeling any better?" Rachel sat up more in her bed and became very conscious of how much clothing she didn't have on. Also, that her hot pink bra that matched her panties was most likely very visible through her white shirt. When she'd put it on, comfort was her goal and having her boyfriend in her house hadn't crossed her mind. She pulled the blanket up to cover her legs and swept her hair out of her face.

"I am actually. I think I got rid of it all yesterday and last night. Just really tired today. I turned my phone off so that's probably why I haven't answered anyone. You really didn't have to come by Noah. I know I must look horrible right now." Puck scoffed and sat down beside her on the bed again.

"Babe, I can promise you that you look anything but horrible right now. That blanket wasn't on you when I got here. Nice panties. Pretty sure I've tried to steal them before." Rachel giggled and hit his thigh. He laughed for a second and then looked back at her. "Santana told me why you were acting all weird yesterday." She tried to feign confusion but he knew that she knew what he was talking about. "The dream you had about me, I got Santana to tell me." The blush she'd been sporting the day before came back full force. "If it helps, I have dreams about you all the time. Really, _really_ good dreams. Mine are probably way dirtier than yours though. But I don't know, your subconscious might be a total freak." Rachel tried to calm her breathing. Something about the way he was speaking, the subject matter, the combination of it all, he was making her body temperature rise. "Come on, I'll tell you one of my dreams if you tell me yours." She laughed nervously and shook her head.

"Could I have some of that soup please?" He groaned for effect and got up from her bed. As he was walking around towards the door, he said,

"Two bowls of penicillin coming up. But I'm gonna get that dream out of you. Either that or I'll call you every night right before you go to bed to make sure those dreams of yours don't quit any time soon. Any way you look at it baby, I kind of win." He met her eyes for just a second before he left the room and Rachel, for some reason she couldn't really figure out, had the biggest urge to run her tongue across that small little mole just off the corner of the left side of his mouth.

She didn't know where that had come from, but it didn't seem like a bad idea.

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><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: I don't own Glee. Please enjoy!**

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><p>Rachel sipped her caramel soy latte hoping the blonde would show up. The woman wasn't exactly known for being the most trustworthy person on the planet but she'd promised to meet with her. She looked toward the door and breathed a sigh of relief when April Rhodes strode into the Lima Bean like she owned the place.<p>

During one of her breaks from New York, April had been visiting Lima. Even though she'd successfully remained sober, she'd gotten into an accident in town and because of her previous record, the cops on the scene automatically took her in on charges of public intoxication. Rachel's father David had been appointed as her defense attorney and effectively proved to the judge that while April had been distracted when she'd crashed her car into a telephone pole, she'd done it stone sober and had only been wondering around in a daze because she was still in shock from her accident. Because her father had been an integral part in keeping April out of jail, April had given Rachel her phone number with instructions that if she ever needed anything to give her a call. Rachel was just hoping the woman would be true to her word.

"Well hello my little diva! Don't just sit there like a frog on a log, give me some love." Rachel stepped into the woman's outstretched arms and hugged her. The meeting was certainly off to a good start. "Okay now, before we get going, I have to ask. Are you still seeing that cutie patootie Finn Hudson?" Rachel couldn't help giggling as she sat back down.

"No I'm not. We ended our relationship a while ago. We just work better as friends. I'm actually dating Noah now." April's eyes grew wide at that, slapping her manicured hands down on the table as though her balance had just been taken.

"_Puckerman_? Oh I _remember_ him. That boy's body should be registered with the government as a weapon of mass _seduction_. Ooh, there was this one time in the showers, the things he could do with his hands could make a grown woman feel like a teenage girl again. Man could he kiss like a," Rachel cleared her throat to stop April's stroll down her debauched memory lane.

"Yes April I know. Noah is extremely talented in many ways. But, with all due respect, I didn't call you so you could tell me all about your past excursions with my boyfriend. I actually have a favor to ask of you." April smiled and leaned over on her elbows.

"What can I do for you sweetie?"

"Do you still own the roller rink," she asked cautiously. She didn't want to come on too strong because she was asking for a big thing.

"Well of course I do honey. A place I can escape to and sing my little heart out whenever I'm in town? Why on earth would I give that up?" April smiled at her, like she was remembering the times she'd had at her roller rink.

"I was actually wondering if I could borrow the rink for a night. Rent it out or something so that Noah and I could have it to ourselves. How much would that cost?" Rachel waited for a second as April looked as though she was calculating numbers in her head. Her brow furrowed and she just seemed to give up.

"Oh sugar why worry about the cost? One night isn't going to put me out of business or anything. You just let me know which night you need it for and I'll make sure it's cleared out and staffed so you kids can have a great time. How does that sound?" That sounded generous and unexpected actually.

"Wow April you can't be serious. You'll lose money if you don't let me compensate you for using the rink. I can't let you do that." April just waved her hand in front of her face and shook her head.

"Honey I couldn't let you pay me for something like that. Not after everything your family has done for me. Did you know that your dad even set me up with a fantastic rehab in New York for when I'm not here? He did that out of the goodness of his heart. After all of that, it just wouldn't feel right taking your money for something like this. You just consider this a present from Auntie April. When do you need it?" Rachel swallowed quickly and then took another sip of her drink.

"Um, would tomorrow night be okay?"

By the time the ladies got all of the details figured out in order for Rachel to borrow the roller rink, Rachel realized that it was almost time for her to be at Noah's house. She bid April goodbye and walked outside to her car, already giddy about the date she had planned. She was positive that Noah would think it was cheesy but that was the novelty of a roller rink anyway. The beauty of it was they would have it all to themselves and it was legal!

Dani Puckerman's voice sounded behind the door of the Puckerman household and Rachel was instantly positive that Noah had given his little sister sugar for breakfast that morning. She knocked on the door and waited. When Noah opened the door, he had Dani in his arms upside down with her legs thrown over the back of his shoulder. She was yelling for him to put her down but giggling the whole time. Rachel smiled at the duo.

"Rachel you're here," Dani yelled, in the middle of trying to simultaneously throw her arms up (down?) in the air and keep her shirt from falling down to her chin. "Noah put me down for real this time! I wanna hug Rachel!" Noah laughed at his sibling and set her right side up on the floor. The ten year old promptly threw her arms around Rachel's waist and squeezed.

"Hi Dani," Rachel grinned as she hugged her back, "I hope Noah is being a good babysitter today." Dani grimaced.

"I'm not a baby Rachel. But yeah, Noah's alright. He made pancakes for breakfast this morning and let me put extra syrup on mine. It was awesome!" Rachel laughed at the smaller girl and stepped further into the house. "Ooh Rachel, will you play hide and seek with us? Noah said he wouldn't play until you got here." Rachel looked up and saw the suggestive look in Noah's eyes. It was ridiculous but, that look sent a chill through her entire body.

"That sounds like fun Dani." Noah grinned and took Rachel's hand in his.

"Okay Dani, you go in the kitchen and count to two hundred. Me and Rach are gonna hide." Dani seemed to think that was a fantastic plan and quickly ran off towards the kitchen. Rachel looked back at her boyfriend, about to ask him what he had up his sleeve, when he tugged her hurriedly and quietly up the stairs. Noah pulled her past his bedroom and into the bathroom that he shared with his sister.

"Noah," she whispered, "what are you doing?" Rachel quickly found herself pushed up against the door as Noah's fingers carded through her hair.

"I'm taking advantage of the moment and making out with my girlfriend. What do you think I'm doing?" She didn't really have time to answer with anything more than a gasp. His lips moved along her jaw and effectively short-circuited her brain. He nibbled on her bottom lip for a few seconds, just light enough to drive her crazy. Rachel moved her head so that his mouth would be on hers, impatient already, and moaned when his tongue found its way against hers. Wearing this little pale blue shirt-dress that wasn't buttoned up all the way, Rachel knew how easy it wouldn't been for him to just unbutton it a little bit more, reach in, slide his warm hand over her skin and do whatever he wanted. She was quite positive that she would go along with anything he wanted at that point. When he pulled her to the shower's edge, never once taking his lips off of hers, she moaned as her thoughts went to places where Noah was naked and dripping wet. He stepped over the edge of the tub without difficulty but when Rachel picked her foot up to do the same, while attempting to maintain contact with his lips, she hit the side instead. Noah pulled away, chuckling softly at her and gripping her hips to steady her.

"Noah, why are we getting in your shower?" He held onto her as she paid closer attention to stepping into the tub and promptly closed the curtain as soon as she was in.

"We're hiding babe. I figure Dani's gonna get distracted in the kitchen, have to start counting all over again, and _then_ she'll be sweeping the house looking for us. No locked doors allowed during hide and seek so I'm using that as an excuse to get you in the shower." Rachel giggled and stepped closer to him, splaying her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating against her palm.

"It's good to know you play by _some_ rules," she whispered. Noah grinned while his fingers curved gently around the side of her neck, guiding her mouth back to his. He growled low in his throat when Rachel darted her tongue across his top lip. That's when she felt it. The hand on her neck was gradually, almost hesitantly, inching down her skin. She stood up on her toes, effectively pressing her body closer to his and moving his hand lower at the same time. She could feel the shower knobs digging into the small of her back but the things he was doing with his tongue made her forget it all. His entire body, from his broad shoulders and hardened abdominals to his firm thigh muscles, covered hers. Rachel shuddered as one of her buttons was slipped through its hole. She felt his hand cup her breast as his lips moved to her collarbone. The heat from every point of contact was strong, and she just wanted to let it burn.

Puck could feel her nipple hardening in his palm, just beneath the soft cotton fabric of her bra. The one thing that could've made their situation better would've been to take clothes out of the equation. Well, that and for Dani to be out of the house of course. His dick was reacting every single time she moved or made a sound. He realized that if Dani actually found them in this position, she'd tell their mom and he'd never hear the end of it. But then Rachel made that noise again and he didn't even know who Dani was. He kissed her roughly, unable hold much back any longer, and rolled his hips into hers.

Rachel whimpered in pain as his sudden movement caused her to get stabbed by the cold water knob. Noah pulled back, ready to ask if she was okay, when Rachel reached behind her to create a buffer between herself and the protrusion but her shoe slipped on the tub and she turned the water on instead. The next thing they knew, they were both drenched in freezing cold water and Rachel screamed in shock. They both heard Dani's footsteps and Rachel clamped her hand over her mouth while Noah tried to turn the water off.

"Aha! I found you!" Dani burst triumphantly into the bathroom and jerked the curtain open. When she saw her brother and his girlfriend standing there under the steady stream of water, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "You guys, you're not supposed to wear clothes when you take a shower. And why are you taking a shower anyway? We're playing hide and seek. Come on, you're both it now. Count to two hundred and then you have to find me." Without another word, the ten year old ran out of the bathroom on her way to find her own hiding spot in the house.

When Noah finally got the water turned off, Rachel was shivering. They took one look at each other and burst into laughter. Rachel's hair was sticking to her forehead and Noah's was sticking up in tiny spikes after he ran his hand over his head. Their clothing was clinging to their bodies but neither one of them could stop laughing. Rachel took Noah's hand so he could help her out of the tub and then took the towel he handed her so she could dry off a little bit. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and giggled again.

"God I look like a drenched rat." Noah wrapped his arms around her torso and placed a gentle kiss to her neck from behind her.

"The hottest drenched rat I've ever seen though." Rachel smiled at the warm feeling she got when he said that. "Come on, we'll throw our clothes in the dryer and I'll give something of mine to wear. Maybe by the time we're done, we could've counted to whatever number and we'll look for the kid." He kissed her again and reached under the sink to grab another towel.

"I'm sorry I turned the water on," Rachel whispered after a second, still wringing her hair out over the sink. Noah shrugged his shoulders with a chuckle and threw his towel around his neck.

"Hey, any longer and I would've needed a cold shower anyway."

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><p>Rachel kept eyeing Noah on the way to the roller rink. She really didn't want him to know where they were going until the last second so she'd picked him up at his house and driven them instead of having him drive to their destination like how they usually did on their dates. Noah had complained at first, stating that her car didn't have enough space for him to stretch his legs out but she just told him to shut up and adjust the seat.<p>

When she parked her car in the deserted parking lot of Rinky Dinks, she wanted to laugh at the look of confusion on Noah's face.

"Um babe, can you explain to me why we're at a deserted skating rink?" She laughed softly and took her seat belt off.

"It's deserted for us. I made sure of it. This is April's rink and she's letting us have it for the night. All to ourselves except for a few workers inside." Rachel smiled brightly at him and quickly got out of her car. When Noah finally got out, he looked down at her and she noticed how his demeanor had changed. "What's wrong?" Noah ran his hand over his head and sighed.

"I'm not really good at skating." He looked so annoyed with himself for saying it but Rachel didn't quite understand.

"That's ridiculous Noah. You're on your skateboard all the time." Noah rolled his eyes at her and leaned against her car.

"Yeah that's because a skateboard doesn't make your feet go in two different directions. You might not have a problem with doing the splits but my body doesn't move that way. I didn't even skate that one time when we got banned from the auditorium and Shue brought us here." Rachel just took his hand and began pulling him in the direction of the front doors. He was resisting the entire way and when they made it to the door, Rachel turned around to give him a light-hearted glare.

She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him as passionately as she could until she could feel his body loosening up. When she slowly pulled away, she was quite proud of herself for the dazed look on his face. "Please, Noah, I promise we'll have fun." He licked his lips and smirked at her, moving to kiss her again, when the door opened.

"Well aren't you two just the most adorable things since fluffy kittens." April Rhodes smiled at them from the doorway and motioned for them to come inside. "Okay you two can get your skates over there and if you want any snacks I've got the bar open. No alcohol unfortunately, had to get rid of the stuff so my sponsors wouldn't rag on me all the time. But there's food and drinks if you want anything. My DJ can play anything your little hearts could possibly want to skate to so all you kids have to worry about is having a blast. I'll get out of your hair sweetie and let you get your skate on!" Rachel laughed nervously at the quick pace with which April spoke and briefly wondered what she'd used for her substitute to alcohol. David Berry kept in touch with her sponsor in New York and swore she was clean though so she dismissed the thought from her mind and turned back to Noah. He still looked doubtful.

Puck was holding on to Rachel's hand as she led him around the rink. She was smiling all wide and beautiful like she was just enjoying spending time with him. It was easy to forget the few workers in the building, probably watching him make a fool of himself, because he was actually having a lot of fun. He'd gotten frustrated the first time he fell on his ass but Rachel just giggled softly and helped him right back up. Puck was surprised at the patience she had with him. It didn't take long before he was racing her around the rink watching as she lapped him doing her own skating version of the Running Man.

"You look like such a dork," Puck shouted over the music when Rachel was doing a cute little spin. She skated over to him and started circling him.

"You're just jealous of my skills Puckerman," she stated with a laugh. He caught her around the waist which made her scream in his ear. Puck was pretty surprised that they didn't fall with as much as she was squirming. "Noah, I feel I should warn you about something." She paused and met his gaze with a serious look on her face. Inching closer, she whispered, "You're having fun." Puck laughed and nodded his head.

"Yeah I am. It usually helps to have a really hot chick holding your hand. I think I finally got feeling back in my ass. Maybe you should squeeze it just to make sure." Rachel rolled her eyes, scoffing softly, and made no attempt to move her hands from his arms. "Oh come on, just one cheek. Will it help if I grab yours too? Because I have no problems with that. I'm your ass's biggest fan baby." That made Rachel break into a fit of giggles which he really liked. She looked so perfect when she laughed.

"I think I had a dream where you said that before." The second the words were out of her mouth, she sucked in a breath as though that would cause the sentence to become unsaid. Her pink cheeks made him positive that she hadn't meant to say that out loud. Suddenly, it was like a power shift happened and Noah began to roll in a small circle around Rachel.

"So, you're still dreaming about me," he said with a smug grin. "What was this one about Rach? I mean, if the first one was about me eating you out, and this second one has something to do with me liking your ass," Rachel looked up at him when he said that, causing him to pause. There was something in her eyes, like she was hiding something and desperately hoping he didn't figure out what it was. "Wait a second, there's been more than two dreams, hasn't there?" Rachel bit down on her bottom lip, giving off that unintentionally sinful look that was all her, and Noah took her hands in his. "How many babe?"

She'd known that this would come up eventually. With a small huff, Rachel looked up into his eyes. "Every night since the first one. But I don't know an actual number. Sometimes I wake up because of, because of the subject matter, and when I fall asleep again another starts. I think the most I've had in one night was four." His eyes grew wide at her confession. Clearly, he wasn't expecting that answer.

"But it's been two weeks since you had the first dream. Is your brain trying to make up for lost time or something?" Rachel smiled through the blush on her cheeks and nodded her head.

"That actually makes sense. I never really had these types of thoughts and dreams before you came along. It's all your fault." She started to skate again and he followed after her.

"Don't think blaming me is gonna get you off the hook. I wanna know what the dreams are about. At least tell me one. You owe me that." Rachel gave him a pained expression and he knew that she still wasn't very comfortable talking about it. But if he could help her with that, help her become more comfortable with having the types of conversations that he wanted to have with her one day, he knew it would be more than worth it. "Will you pick one of the less x-rated ones to tell me? I'm just trying to help babe, I promise."

He watched as she skated over to the tiny stage in the middle of the rink. She sat down on it and waited for him to skate over to her and sit down beside her. "There was one, it was more sweet than anything. You had, um, we had just uh, finished. We were just lying beside each other, naked of course but that's not really the point. And you told me that if I ever needed anything, you would be there for me. It meant a lot to me, even if it was just a dream, I think it's founded in some truth. You've always been there for me Noah, even when I didn't realize it at the time. Thank you Noah."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders with a small smile. Puck had known for a while that Rachel held a larger part of him than he'd ever let anyone else have. It wasn't something he made a habit out of but with her, it felt right. She deserved it. As a reply, he simply offered, "I got you."

* * *

><p>"You totally wore jeans just to torture me didn't you?" Rachel giggled as she stared at him across the tiny space of her car.<p>

"Noah you generally tell me that my skirts torture you. Now you're saying my jeans are torturous? Besides, I didn't think that roller skating with a skirt on would be particularly practical. What's wrong with my jeans?" He leaned over closer to her and placed his hand on her thigh. She sucked in a quiet breath and glanced down at his hand before looking at his face.

"Your skin feels a lot better under my fingers," he whispered hotly. Closing the two inches that separated them, he pressed his mouth against hers and slowly moved his hand just a little higher. Rachel pulled back and smiled at him like he was in trouble.

"Are you really going to feel me up while we're parked right outside your house? Your mother could be watching Noah." He chuckled and kissed her again before opening his door.

"Not my fault your car is so freaking tiny Rachel. There's nowhere else to put my hands."

**Hope you liked it! Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: I don't own "Whispering", "One Song Glory", "Pretty Girl Rock", "Moves Like Jagger", or Glee. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Please review!**

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><p>They were sitting in the choir room waiting for Mr. Shuester to come in to start class. Rachel was in the middle of whispering in Noah's ear about her latest dream, which he was honestly surprised that she was telling him at school, and he was getting more turned on by the second. She'd actually started telling him at lunch and, because of classes and general learning crap that got in the way, it was taking a while to get the whole story. Which he didn't have a problem with at all. She was almost to the end when Shue walked in though and Noah groaned that he'd have to wait until the end of rehearsal to hear about the rest of it.<p>

"Alright guys, we're gonna change some plans today," the curly-haired man began. The whole group groaned. It was annoying as hell when the dude changed plans at the last minute. "I put up an audition sheet a couple of days ago for the male solo at the next assembly." Puck grinned. He'd signed up to audition and he knew he was gonna kick ass. "I couldn't get some things sorted out in time so I've decided that I'm just going to go with Finn on this one." Puck kinda felt like he'd been slapped out of nowhere. Instead of having the auditions, the guy was just gonna go with Finn?

"That's such crap. What about the rest of the guys," he spat before he could think about what he was saying. "I signed that sheet. Sam, Kurt, and Artie signed it too. That's _four_ other guys interested in doing that damn solo, besides Finn. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we don't hear enough of him as it is but if you're gonna change a freaking plan, how about start with keeping the auditions instead of just giving it to Finn like what _always_ happens. You can't even blame this on us for not being interested because we are. Sorry Shue, but I'm calling bullshit on this." The tension in the room was thick as the teacher and student were caught in a stare-off that neither planned on losing. After a few seconds of almost everyone holding their breath, Mr. Shuester blinked and shook his head.

"I'm sorry you're upset Puck but my decision is final, whether you agree with it or not." Rachel scoffed beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Puck sat back and crossed his arms, thoroughly pissed off. He liked the other guys just fine. They were his boys. But there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would've slaughtered them all at the auditions and now he wouldn't even get the chance. It was total bullshit and it was all because Shue was too lazy to do the damn auditions so he just gave it to his favorite because it was easier. Finn hadn't even signed up for the auditions so he didn't even want the solo in the first place. But still, it just got handed to him without even trying. Fuck that. "Now, I've also decided that the female solo in the same assembly will be 'Whispering' from _Spring Awakening_." Rachel squeezed his shoulder and he kinda couldn't help but be a little happy for her. She really liked that musical and he knew she would knock it out of the park. "I think I'll have Tina take the lead for that one." Wait, what?

"Excuse me Mr. Shuester, with all due respect," Rachel started, making an effort to keep her voice calm, "_I'm_ the one that suggested that song in the first place. You told me that if you decided the group would perform it, that I would get the solo. Now you're blatantly taking it away from me? While I have no doubt that Tina could perform 'Whispering' just beautifully, I fail to see how it's fair of you to tell me that I could have that song and then you make the decision that I can no longer sing it without even discussing it with me first. It's just rude!" The teacher walked around the piano and crossed his arms, almost glaring at Rachel (which pissed Puck off) for calling him out.

"Rachel, as I just told Puck, my decision is final. You guys need to realize that I'm the teacher here and I make the choices for this group. I think everyone needs to calm down a little bit and head to the auditorium so we can work on some new choreography. Let's go."

As they were walking down the hallway, Rachel and Puck walked slower so that they would be behind the rest of the group. Suddenly, Rachel released an angry yell beside him. He looked over at her in time to see her haul off and kick the row of lockers.

"God," she screamed. "It's just not fucking fair!" Puck wasn't sure what he should be more surprised about, Rachel cursing or Rachel screaming in general. "For either of us. You would have been incredible at that audition and won that solo without even having to try. And then the asshole just pulls the rug out from under you _and _the rest of the guys like that, it's absurd. When I told him my idea about including 'Whispering' in our next assembly, he looked me in the eyes and said that it wouldn't be a problem for me to do it as a solo. I just can't believe him! I know that he waited to drop those bombs during Glee club so that nobody would make a scene! This is so infuriating Noah and I can't do anything about it. I was so excited for you when you signed up for those auditions because you are incredibly talented and you were going to get a real chance at showcasing it. I'm so sorry Noah." When she looked up at him with this helpless look on her face, he just wanted to hug her.

He pulled her against his chest and tucked her under his chin, holding her securely in his arms. "It sucks babe. I don't know what Shue's deal is lately. If you want to, we can tell him to fuck himself when we get to the auditorium." She giggled softly into his shirt and he kissed the top of her head.

"I actually really like that idea Noah."

"I have another idea. You're free tomorrow night after your dance class right?" Rachel nodded her head with a curious smile on her face. "Good. There's this Mexican restaurant called Guadalajara down in Piqua. They have karaoke on Thursday nights. Why don't we go and we'll have a little fun. That way, we can both perform whatever the hell we want and we don't have to give a flying fuck about who gets what solo. We'll kick ass babe. How about it?"

Rachel bit her lip like she was thinking about it. "Do they have vegan options?"

"What if we share nachos and I get the meat on the side? Will that work?" She giggled again and tightened her arms around his waist. Rachel tilted her head up and pressed her mouth against his. She slipped her tongue past his lips, moaning softly when he deepened the kiss, and she couldn't escape the feeling that he seemed to make everything better.

"I can work with that."

* * *

><p>His mouth fell open when he saw her walking down the stairs. The blouse she had on was green and cut so low that he was honestly scared that her dads wouldn't let her out of the house. The jet black ruffled skirt she had on was one of his favorites (mainly because of the serious lack of length) and her legs just wouldn't quit. To top it all off, there was no way that the heels she had on wouldn't become part of his nightly rotation. She looked like a clothed wet dream and he wasn't complaining at all.<p>

Rachel walked down the steps until she was eyelevel with him. His jeans hugged his thighs in all the right ways and made her bite into her lip. The dark gray t-shirt he had on was a v-neck that made her physically stop herself from leaning in to lick his collarbone. It seemed to get harder and harder to control herself around him each time she saw him.

"You look really great Noah," she whispered. Puck couldn't exactly find the words to tell Rachel how great she looked, so of course he picked the less wordy (and way more fun) way of using his tongue. She gasped softly into his mouth when she felt his hand brush against the edge of her panties under her skirt. Rachel made a mental note to thank Santana for helping her out with her outfit for the night. When her friend had held up the skirt, she'd known it was one of his favorites so agreeing to it wasn't an issue in the slightest. His other hand curled around the back of her neck and he held her closer. Neither one of them heard her dads walk into the foyer.

"So where are you kids going tonight," Nathan asked as David was clearing his throat. Both men had their arms crossed with knowing smirks on their faces as Noah pulled away reluctantly.

"Guadalajara," Noah answered.

Nathan chuckled softly. "Hope you remembered your passport. Border patrol is really cracking down lately." Rachel rolled her eyes at her dad as Noah took her hand to lead her down the last couple of steps.

"You're hilarious dad, really," she commented dryly. David laughed and stepped over to kiss his daughter on the forehead. He looked at Noah with a small smile and gave him a light pat on the back.

"It's a school night so don't keep our baby girl out too late." Noah nodded his head and placed his hand on the small of Rachel's back, very careful not to go any lower in front of her dads.

Once he shut the front door, he pulled Rachel a little closer. Rachel tilted her head so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't until she slid over against him in the cab of his truck that either one of them said anything.

"This afternoon when I was waiting for you, Shue came up to me." Rachel glanced up at him with a cautious look on her face. "He told me that he was disappointed in me for my _outburst_ yesterday and that I'd come so far and he just didn't want to see me backslide. Douche had the nerve to act like he hadn't even done anything wrong. I just told him that if he didn't give me shit to get pissed about, he wouldn't have to worry about my _outbursts_." Rachel bit her lip and raised her head from his shoulder.

"What did he say to that?" Noah grinned really wide and looked down at her in the dark vehicle.

"Not a damn thing. Shocked the shit out of him I guess because he just blinked at me a couple of times and I walked off to find you. Not gonna lie, it stung when he cut the auditions. He wants to preach at us about how we need to care more about the club and the second some of us do, he takes it away. I'm not gonna listen to him lecture me when he's the one who was wrong." Rachel couldn't help staring up at him at as he drove. There was a fire in his voice and she knew it was because he'd really wanted that audition, possibly more than he'd let on so far. All he wanted was a chance, a chance to show them even a fraction of what he was capable of.

"Noah, what was the song you were going to perform for the audition?" Noah looked down at her with a small smile on his face.

"I've been working on 'One Song Glory' for a week or so. I figured that it showcased my vocal range pretty good and it'd also show that I could do something from the Broadway genre. Dani made me watch it one time when she first started hanging around you at Temple and she called me Roger for like a week. I just kinda felt like, like it fit I guess." Rachel was biting her lip again when he took his eyes from the road once more. "What?" She just shook her head quickly and inhaled through her nose.

"That's amazing. I love how much thought you put into it and I know that you would have performed it like no other. I'm really proud of you Noah." She didn't miss the way his chest puffed out just a little at her words.

"Thanks," he muttered. After a second or two, he grabbed her hand from on top of her thigh and laced their fingers together. "You know Rach, this place has a pretty big parking lot. We could have a little fun before dinner." Rachel giggled softly.

"Why don't we just get there first Noah?" He squeezed her hand and smiled.

"I'll hold you to that."

A few minutes later, Noah turned onto the main road in Piqua. Rachel hopped slightly in the truck's seat out of excitement, making Noah laugh at her. When they pulled into Guadalajara's parking lot, it was pretty full. She began to wonder if they should've come earlier but Noah didn't seem too worried. He parked in a faraway spot and opened his door, not letting go of her hand but instead pulling her through the driver's side. Before she could get her feet on the ground, he stopped her on the edge of the seat.

With one hand on her thigh and one on her side just under her breast, he leaned in and roughly took her mouth with his. She released a wanton moan when his fingers slid higher. Rachel completely forgot that they were in a parking lot and threw her arms around his neck to hold him closer. She slipped her tongue against his and whined softly when he pulled away. His lips went to her neck and he began to suck on pulse points she didn't even know existed. Rachel closed her knees so they dug gently into his hips and held him in place. She tilted her head back and felt his tongue dip into her collarbone. It all just felt so good, too good.

"Noah," she whispered. He made a sound acknowledging that he'd heard her but didn't stop his gentle nips at her skin. "I think we can, I could, oh, Noah stop for a second." Noah rose up with a glint in his eyes and waited for her to continue. She took a deep breath, trying to force her heart to slow its drumming, and looked into his eyes. "Thank you." He smirked.

"For starting or stopping?"

"Both. Do you think we could go inside now?" Noah pulled his hand out from under her skirt and took her hand again to help out of the truck, for real this time.

"Yeah babe, come on."

Rachel smiled when they walked into the restaurant. There were piñatas hanging from ceiling and the bar had a small little awning over it with terra-cotta shingling. It was a very typical Mexican restaurant. On one side of the restaurant, the tables were arranged in a square around what seemed to be a small dance floor. There was a woman who appeared to be about three sheets to the wind completely butchering "Me & Bobby McGee". Rachel giggled at her and knew that the night would be full of drunks messing up songs. It actually excited her just a little more. Mostly because she knew that no matter what she and Noah did, they'd be the most talented people in the room without a doubt. The hostess showed them to their table which, thankfully, was far enough away from the speaker that she was safe from getting a headache.

Noah pulled her chair out for her with a grin, he was trying not to laugh at the Janis Joplin destroyer, and told her he'd be back in a second. Rachel watched as he walked up to the DJ's booth and spoke to the guy with the headphones hanging backwards around his neck. When he sat down beside her, he sat a small stack of paper slips in between them. "You write down what you wanna sing and give him the paper so he can add the song to the lineup. Dude's got any song you could possibly think of." Rachel fished a pen out of her purse and eagerly grabbed one of the slips, prepared to write down one of the songs in her wheelhouse that she could knock out of the park. Just as her pen touched the paper, Noah put his hand over hers. She looked at him curiously and he grinned again. "Remember why we're here babe. This isn't Glee club. It's not supposed to be perfect, doesn't have to have some hidden meaning or statement behind it, just pick something that's about you, that you can have fun performing. Just think about that before you write down a Babs song."

Rachel paused, thinking about what he'd said. Noah was right. They were in a small town Mexican restaurant with people all around, most of whom were probably tone-deaf even when sober, who couldn't care less if she hit that high note perfectly. They were there to have fun and let loose and damn it, so was she!

The only problem with that plan was that most of the songs popping into her head were the types of songs that Noah had just told her to skip over. He chuckled again at her hesitance and shook his head. "Don't worry about it right now. We can order and watch some people before you get up there and show them how it's done" Rachel smiled at him and sat the pen down on the table.

The waiter came around and took their order, getting somewhat confused when Noah tried to explain to put the chicken on a separate plate than the nachos, but it worked out in the end. Apparently, the only Spanish that Noah remembered from class involved food. (Buenos nachos indeed.) Rachel took a sip of her water and sighed as Noah draped his arm across the back of her chair. The DJ announced that the next 'singer' in the lineup would be performing a Patsy Cline medley and she heard Noah release a soft groan in her ear.

Puck did his best to tune out the woman mumbling the lyrics to "Crazy". Instead, he focused on Rachel beside him. He tugged on her hair playfully and chuckled as she did her best to ignore his childish antics. She purposely looked the other way when he leaned up to put himself in her line of vision. He would run his fingers over the smooth skin of her thigh and she would cross her legs, angling away from him so he couldn't reach it. Doing that actually made her skirt ride up just a little bit. It gave him a fantastic view of more skin and he fucking loved it. She clapped her hands with a soft giggle when the song ended and turned to look at him.

"Noah, is there a point to all of the little things you're doing?" He chuckled and leaned over to whisper in her ear, taking his time to let his breath fall on the curve of her neck.

"Just seeing what I can get away with." She tried to hide it with the clearing of her throat but he still heard the way her breath hitched. The girl that brought their food wasn't their original waiter and he could tell she was flirting by the way she leaned over a little lower than necessary to put their food on the table. Rachel's gaze was narrow even when she thanked the waitress for their order. As the girl walked away, he turned to Rachel and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Did you know that you look even hotter than usual when you get that jealous little glare on your face?" Rachel blushed, knowing she'd been caught.

"Well it's not _my_ fault she was looking at you like a piece of cake she wanted to devour. She could have at least attempted to acknowledge my presence. I'm just as pretty as you are." Puck shook his head in surprise.

"So wait, you're jealous because she was looking at me _instead_ of you? Babe, you've been hanging around Santana too much." After a second, he added, "don't call me pretty." Rachel giggled and grabbed one of the chips covered in black beans and salsa. Puck forked a piece of chicken into his mouth and heard her make a sound like she'd just thought of something awesome. He watched as she grabbed her pen again and began scribbling a song down on the paper. With a coy smile in his direction, she got up and headed over to the DJ's booth. As she sat back down, he sucked a little salsa off of his thumb and looked at her. "What song did you decide on?"

"You'll see."

Twenty minutes later, they'd endured two chicks who thought they were Mariah Carey (and both thought wrong), one guy in a cowboy hat that mumbled as much as the Patsy Cline wannabe, and a dorky guy that rapped a Jay-Z song and reminded them of a mixture between Artie and Mr. Shuester. There were a couple of people who sucked really bad that Puck completely tuned out and then a couple that didn't totally make his ears bleed. Either way, he breathed a sigh of relief when Rachel's name was called.

The song started and he sat back in his chair to enjoy the show. When Rachel changed the beginning lyrics of 'Pretty Girl Rock' to "my name is _Berry_, I'm so very fly, oh my, it's a little bit scary", he held his hands up over his head and clapped as loud as he could. She shot a smile his way and continued to play to her audience. She just looked like she was having a blast. He could remember how, a couple of days before, she'd been at his house helping him with his homework and something had made their conversation turn to how she felt more confident at school. She'd told him that it was, in part, due to him always making her feel like she was beautiful and that she'd never truly felt that way before. Generally, if she had a boyfriend, she would only feel pretty when she was with that boy. But with him, it didn't matter if he was there or not because he'd built her up so much that she felt amazing even when he was gone. That conversation had made him really proud of her because one of the things that made her amazing was her confidence on stage and he loved that he could help her bring that out in real life.

When Rachel started dancing along with the music as she sang, Puck wondered for a second where she picked up the swagger. She was leaning and rocking with it like nobody's business and he just wanted to yell 'that's _my_ girl!' He was getting hard just watching her. She was amazing.

He told her as much when she sat back down beside him at their table.

"Oh my god Noah that was so much fun! It was so liberating. Thank you thank you thank you for bringing me here! You are just wonderful." Rachel kissed him soundly on the lips and he held onto her a little longer just to prolong the moment.

The DJ announced that there would be a small break before he started the next lineup so he turned on some dance music and left the booth. Rachel watched as a few people headed to the makeshift dance floor. She glanced over at Noah and he reached down to take her hand. "Come on Rach."

Once he had her on the floor, the thought crossed his mind that he could just slip his hands up the back of her skirt and feel the soft cotton of her panties again. But then he realized if he did that, everyone else would get to see and that wasn't cool. Maybe he could convince her to give him a little flash in the truck on the way home. Puck groaned softly just thinking about it which caused Rachel to look up at him curiously.

"Is there a reason you're making the same noise that you make whenever I tell you a new dream I had?" Oh god the dreams. Ever since their date at the skating rink, Rachel had gotten a lot less shy about sharing the sex dreams she had about him. She was still having them pretty regularly and never failed to give him the details now. She'd even stopped blushing when anyone said the word 'kiwi'. That's when he knew what song he wanted to do, and she was going to help him with him whether she knew it or not. He smirked and pressed his lips to hers.

"Pretty sure I make that sound no matter what you do. You should hear me at night when I'm getting off to your," Rachel cut him off with a sexy little laugh and her mouth on his. She slipped her tongue past his lips and continued to sway with him to the music.

"Tell me later when we're not in a public place," she whispered.

When the DJ came back, the floor cleared out and Rachel excused herself to go to the bathroom. While she was gone, Puck filled out his own little piece of paper and handed it to the guy in the booth.

When his name was called, Rachel whipped her head around and looked so excited that he was going to sing. He loved it. Puck leaned over, before she could get the chance to ask what he was going to sing, and whispered, "I've been working on my falsetto. Have you?"

Rachel recognized the whistling intro to "Moves Like Jagger" and it made her hop in her seat a little bit. When Noah motioned towards his crotch at the line 'my ego is big', she giggled like a schoolgirl. She couldn't explain what he was doing to her. Well, she could but that would probably make her blush and she was trying to stop doing that so much. He sounded incredible and he wasn't even trying. He was just having fun and giving her a hard time. Rachel wasn't blind. She knew that he'd picked a Maroon 5 song mainly because of the _issue_ she'd developed. (Said issue being that whenever she heard one of their songs now, no matter which one, she got ridiculously turned on. She blamed him for starting it with "Kiwi" but she honestly didn't hate it. And she knew for a fact that Noah didn't hate how easily aroused she seemed to be.)

It wasn't until he began walking towards her with another microphone is his hands that she remembered the song had a female part. He was going to turn it into a duet? She could live with that. Singing with him, hearing his voice doubly through the speakers _and_ right next to her, it was incredible. It was one thing listening to him sing along with the radio to sexually explicit lyrics. It was another entirely to have his eyes gazing into hers as he sang those same lyrics _to_ her. It was amazing.

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><p>Sitting on the curb around the corner from Rachel's house, Rachel was laying flat on the seat and she was trying to wordlessly explain to Noah that her shirt could come off quite easily. But each time she would move her hands down to hem of her blouse, he would grab them and stop her. Finally, she pushed at his shoulders with a growl.<p>

"Noah, I swear to god if you grab my hands one more time, I'll scream and it won't be the good kind." He raised his head from her neck and grinned.

"Babe if you take your shirt off, I can't make any promises that I'll let you stop there. I like your boobs, a lot, they're fucking amazing but at least when you keep your shirt on, I can tell myself there's a line I'm not supposed to cross. It might be weird but I want you to be able to trust me." She stared at him for a moment and then sat up in the seat.

"I do trust you Noah. But I guess you're right about the boundary. It seems as though my own rules are coming back to bite me in the ass." Both of them laughed about her twelve date rule again and he got back behind the wheel as she straightened her skirt over her legs.

It hit him when he was driving around the block to her house. She trusted him. If he'd have let her, she would've taken her top off and just trusted him to stop where he was supposed to. She trusted him with her dreams, her thoughts, everything that she didn't feel comfortable telling other people. He wanted her to know that he trusted her with all of that too.

Right before she got out of the truck in her driveway, he grabbed her hand. "Hey Rach, remember when you told me that you wanted to hear my music?" She nodded her head and he could already see the gears turning in her mind. "Do you still wanna do that?" Rachel instantly shut the door and met his gaze.

"Noah of course. I was afraid to say anything else about it because you were so protective of your music the first time." He took a deep breath and tried to loosen his grip on the steering wheel.

"Well, on our next date, I'll play for you. You know, I trust you too." She smiled that bright smile of hers that always made his stomach flip just a little and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you Noah, for all of it. Tonight, for our next date, just thank you." Rachel kissed his cheek but before she could pull away, he caught her lips with his and tangled their tongues together. She released this seductive mewl and he felt her fingernails scratch lightly at the base of his hair. Somehow, they managed to pull away from each other and she grabbed onto the door handle again. "I'll see you at school tomorrow Noah."

The second Rachel shut the truck door, he got a sinking feeling in his gut. What did he just agree to? Was he actually going to play the music he'd written for Rachel? Were those nerves bubbling up in his stomach?

Oh. Shit.


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n: Hi peoples! This chapter contains a lot of music, seriously, A LOT. Narrowing down the list of Mark's music wasn't easy so I'm really hoping I didn't overdo it. I don't own Glee, "Fugitive", "Smoke Signals", "Presence & Power", "Willing & Wonderful", or "Musical Soulmate". I know that "Musical Soulmate" has been used often in fic but ****truelovepooh**** and I both love that song so it had to be featured. I hope you enjoy the chapter and thank you for reading! Oh yeah, I hope you like Smuckleberry.**

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><p>Looking around the Rosenberg's home made her smile. The older couple from Temple had flown to New Jersey for the week to meet their brand new granddaughter and had asked Noah to housesit for them. It just happened to work out that they would be gone on the night that Noah suggested for the little private listening party. At first, when he'd suggested it, Rachel wasn't really sure about using their house because she didn't want to break the trust that the couple had obviously invested in him. But then, Noah just showed Rachel the note that Edna had left for him on the refrigerator. It was basically a reminder list of things for him to do while he was taking care of the house. Water her inside plants, take out the trash, fix himself a sandwich, that sort of thing. But when Rachel saw the little note at the bottom, about how his Nana Connie had informed them that he and Rachel were together and if they needed to use the house for <em>anything<em> at all it was perfectly okay with them, she laughed until her sides were hurting.

She listened as Noah played the last part of "Fugitive" on his acoustic guitar. It was so haunting, both the lyrics and the music, the song had this pressure hanging over it that added to its intensity. She couldn't put her finger on it but it just felt like someone was reaching into her chest and squeezing her heart out of rhythm. It caused her skin to tingle and her body to shiver slightly. Rachel could remember the first time she'd read that one title line over a month ago but hearing Noah's gravelly voice sing it with so much intent behind it was nothing like what she'd imagined. It was far better.

He let the last note hang between them in the silence that followed the song, waiting for her reaction. Puck watched her blink a couple of times before she took a deep breath and he mentally prepared himself for a soft and well-meaning 'you can do better Noah'. But it didn't come.

"Wow," Rachel whispered. "Noah that was, I mean you were, wow." Her mouth opened and closed but no more words came out. Puck ran his hand down the neck of his guitar as his brow furrowed.

"Um, is that a good wow or a bad wow?" That seemed to wake her up. She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, leaning back against the chair from where she was seated on the floor.

"Really Noah, for someone who seems to ooze confidence from every orifice and pore, you're seriously lacking in it where you should have it the most. That was, without a doubt, a very good wow. I've wanted to hear that song since the first time I read the one line in your notebook, on accident I might add, and it was beautiful. You have so much talent Noah. I can't even begin to explain that to you enough. Thank you for playing it for me." He smiled, trying to hide the fact that he was pretty damn proud of himself for writing something she'd dubbed beautiful, and grabbed his notebook off of the floor to turn the page.

"I actually wrote this next one before 'Fugitive' but I was kind of in the same place when I wrote them." Rachel just gave him this encouraging smile that made his fingers itch and burn as though he was six years old again and picking up a guitar for the first time. He tried to shrug it off as nothing and quickly positioned his hand for the first chord of the song staring up at him from the notepaper.

He began to strum, wishing that he'd brought his electric guitar for that particular song but that would've been a hassle, and sang the lyrics he'd written what seemed like ages ago. "_Here in this room, a persistent perfume and this letter I found._" As Puck continued singing, Rachel leaned forward just a little. She was really listening to it all, the music, the words, the way he'd worked to carefully weave them all together. She was listening to everything. "_I'm gonna smoke this signal as soon as I burn this whole city down. Whoa God take my love from me. I don't deserve to leave and be found._" He watched her body language throughout the song. Her fingers tapped lightly on her leg to the beat and her eyes softened. She relaxed just like she did when she had nothing but her headphones stuck in her ears, just paying attention to it.

Puck ended the song with the quick little riff he'd written and exhaled. Rachel smiled back at him and tucked her legs under her body. "I liked that one," she whispered. He didn't really respond because he realized that 'Smoke Signals' and 'Fugitive' were both songs that he'd never even intended on playing for her that night. But then the first song she'd asked him to play was 'Fugitive' because she'd seen it in his notebook and then for some reason 'Smoke Signals' just happened to be the next page he turned to. It was weird. He couldn't say no to her even when she hadn't asked a question.

"I uh, I said I was in the same place when I wrote those two but that place was actually juvie." Rachel inhaled sharply, connecting the two songs in her mind and frowning sadly. She wrung her hands for a few seconds, looking like she was battling with her own words in her mind. Puck wanted to know what she was going to say.

"Noah, I know that I've asked you this before and you brushed me off. I know that you don't like talking about it but, for me, tonight is about trust. And you can tell me to leave the subject alone if you still don't want to tell the story but," she paused, still trying to pick the right words. Puck just shook his head.

"You wanna know why I stole the ATM to end up in juvie in the first place right?" That's what everyone wanted to know after he'd gotten out. But he hadn't told a soul. However, Rachel was right. This night was more than just him playing his music for her. It was about showing her that he trusted her, with everything. Rachel nodded her head and he sat his guitar on the carpet beside him. "I got in a fight with my mom. I can't really remember how it started but I think she'd had a bad day at work or something and I said something that just pissed her off more. Somewhere in the middle of it all, she called me Joseph, my fucking dad's name, and I just got so mad. We started arguing about that and then somehow Beth came up and we were both just basically trying to hurt each other. That's how we fight in my family I guess. Either way, I was still so pissed that she'd called me by _his_ name, she's never done that before, and I just had to get away. We were both still screaming at each other when I left the house and I saw her car in the driveway. I wanted to make her mad, so I stole her car. I even hotwired the damn thing because I couldn't go back in the house to get the keys." Rachel's hands were balled up tightly and she looked like she was about to chew a hole through her bottom lip. She'd wanted this story. She was gonna get it. His voice became a little strangled and she wasn't sure if he was trying to hold back tears or an angry yell. "I drove around for about an hour, trying to calm down but the more I drove, the more pissed off I got about everything. I just wanted to do something so stupid that it could make me forget about the whole fight. When I saw that ATM, I actually said to myself 'that's crazy', and that's what decided it." Puck sniffed, his nose suddenly wanted to run for some stupid reason, and looked away from Rachel's intense stare.

"What happened then?" Her voice was small and the air was thick with tension. This was exactly why he'd never wanted to tell her this story. Puck had been viewed in this type of light his whole life but Rachel was the last person he wanted to see him like that. But the way she tucked her hair behind her ear and just waited for him to continue, she wasn't just asking to be nosy. This was something she wanted to know, because she cared about him. That's why he kept going.

"I got arrested and they called my mom. When she came down to the jail at two in the morning, I started fucking crying the second I saw her. We were both apologizing all over the place, about everything, about shit that we probably hadn't talked about in years. She brought Dani to my hearing and when the judge suggested the juvenile detention center, I just remember my mom sitting behind me thanking God that they weren't sending me to prison and Dani crying as they were taking me away. I'd never made my little sister cry like that before, and I never want to see her cry like that again. While I was there, in juvie, when I was trying to keep from getting my ass kicked by guys that were like ten times bigger than me, I wrote a few songs. Those two were the only ones I didn't trash when I got out." Rachel wiped at her cheeks but couldn't find any words to say. What are you supposed to say to a story like that? The words coming to her mind seemed like too much and not enough at the same time. It was frustrating. She knew how much it really meant that he'd told her.

"I know that you don't like to talk about it, so thank you for telling me." He continued to stare at the floor but nodded his head. "I wanted to come see you, you know, while you were there." That caused him to look up at her, brow furrowed in confusion.

"But you were with Finn," he said, not really sure if it was supposed to be a question or statement. Rachel shrugged her shoulders.

"I was, but I wanted to be your friend. When we did Rocky Horror, I thought that you would have been perfect to play Eddie. I called the detention center to ask when visiting hours were but they told me that only family was allowed to visit with the detainees." Puck blew out a breath. She'd never told him that before. She'd actually tried to come see him. He wasn't sure why exactly, but that felt like a big deal.

Before his throat could close up again, he picked his guitar back up and thought about what he was about to play. If he was going to lay everything out there, he might as well do it right. He needed a slight change of subject anyway. "Speaking of that fight with my mom, like I said, Beth had been brought up. I know I'm doing all of this totally out of order but it just made me think of the summer after she was born. I heard the song 'Beth' on the radio and I kind of broke down a little bit. When I got back home, I sat down and wrote this."

The words he sang, about his daughter, '_I could be far across the sea or by myself on the moon. But I know on the radio that the song will remind me of you_', brought her to tears. Rachel couldn't imagine the pain he'd gone through giving up his daughter. He loved that little girl, had loved her ever since he found out about her, and then he'd had to let her go before ever having the chance to get to know her. Just because giving her up was what was best for her didn't make it any easier. '_Let it out now slowly, so much better off outside our bodies. They've been waiting for you. Your presence is gone but your power goes on 'cause the song still reminds me of you._' He smiled softly at her from across the room and continued to play. The musical fill in the middle of the song made her smile back at him. The way he let the emotion bleed through his voice caused her insides to clench. His soul was woven into the songs he was playing. It really hit her then. Noah was showing her everything he kept hidden, everything he buried beneath bravado and a smirk. She felt like she was meeting him for a second time.

As the song ended, Rachel sat back against the chair and shook her head in disbelief. In a way, she could understand why he would want to keep his songwriting to himself. But she knew that if she could create something even half as beautiful as the songs he'd played for her so far that night, she'd want to share it with the world. That was one of the differences in their personalities though. Rachel had the tendency to showcase her talents no matter what. Noah preferred to wait until he was sure people were going to care before he shared anything. She really liked that about him though. He closed himself off to keep from getting hurt but that just meant that only people he truly cared about were allowed inside. Rachel felt genuinely special that he'd let her in.

"At the risk of sounding like a broken record, that was beautiful. I think Beth is a lucky girl to have a father who thinks about her and loves her as much as you do." Puck nodded his head with a sad smile.

"Thanks Rachel." He looked off for a second and then moved to stand up. Rachel watched as he placed his guitar on the couch behind him. "I'll be right back. Gotta go to the bathroom." As soon as he left the room, Rachel wiped her cheeks of the moisture that had gathered there. Hearing the bathroom door down the hall shut, she got up and walked over to the guitar. The head had the letters N.E.P. carved into the wood, Noah Eli Puckerman. Rachel ran her fingers up and down the strings a couple of times before she finally just picked it up and sat down on the couch. It was heavier than she thought it would be and echoed when she placed it in her lap. She tried to remember one of the chords that she'd seen Noah play but when she placed her fingers against the strings in what she thought was the correct position and strummed, it sounded horrible and nothing like what he made it sound like when he played. The strings dug into the pads of her fingers and she remembered the calluses on his. Rachel tucked her hair behind her ear and then tried to strum again, but it still wasn't making a sound near as heavenly as what Noah seemed to effortlessly make the instrument produce. A pang of jealousy shot through her but then she heard him clear his throat from the doorway. Looking up guiltily, she smiled softly and tried to appear innocent.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to see if I could do it." Puck couldn't help grinning at her. She just looked so tiny behind his guitar. He sat down beside her and took her hand. Rachel loosened her grip on the guitar's neck as he positioned her fingers across the frets. Her hands were so small that her pinky had to stretch uncomfortably, making her whimper softly.

"Strum it now," he instructed. She did as she was told, it sounded right that time, but only strummed once before taking her hand completely off of the neck.

"It kind of hurts my fingers." Puck took her hand in his and rubbed his fingers over hers in a soothing motion, shrugging his shoulders.

"I've been playing since I was six. Once you build the calluses up, you don't really feel it anymore. I remember one time when I was little, right after I'd really started being able to play stuff and it not sound like total shit, I played so long that my fingers actually started bleeding. I thought I was the coolest kid on the playground because of that. I think Finn started drumming right after that so we started comparing battle scars. He had blisters from his sticks and I was building up my calluses. I wanted to beat him so I talked my mom into getting me drum and piano lessons. I figured if I could play more instruments than him, I'd be cooler. Keep in mind, I was like ten at the time that all this was going on. I can still play the drums a little bit but I ended up liking piano so my mom talked the Cantor at Temple into giving me free lessons because we couldn't afford to keep paying for them. I stopped taking the lessons after a while but I never stopped playing. I still like to think I won because I can play more stuff than Finn can."

Rachel giggled and rolled her eyes but realized that Noah had always been in competition with Finn. As far as she was concerned though, there wasn't really any competition between the two boys because they weren't even on the same playing field. Finn was a past love, a stepping stone. Noah was, well she wasn't really sure what he was yet but it was far more than just a stepping stone. He was a rock. And falling for him wouldn't hurt, because he would catch her. She just knew it, he would catch her without even hesitating, without having to think about it.

She was staring at him, but he wasn't exactly sure why. She had that determined look in her eyes that reminded him of when she was about to argue a point in which she was absolutely certain that she was right. Puck was about to say something when suddenly she leaned over and gently pressed her lips against his. He felt her hand slip around his neck but she still pulled back after a second, just far enough that her mouth was barely touching his.

"For me Noah," she whispered, "you win for far more reasons than just instruments." Rachel nipped at his lip and pressed her forehead to his. "You win." Puck breathed through his nose and moved to kiss her again. The little taste she gave him wasn't even close to enough. Rachel pulled away though and touched her hand to his guitar. "Will you play some more?"

Puck thought for a minute and then grinned. "Alright, I wrote this one a couple weeks after we started dating again. It's um, well just listen I guess. You're pretty good at that." Rachel smiled as he turned towards her on the couch with the guitar between them. He didn't need his notebook for this one. Some of his songs just stuck out in his mind more than others, this was one of them. "_On the first day of our champagne supernova consummation, who knows you again? I was sent by Solomon. You said 'now tell me your dreams'. Suddenly it seems that ain't nobody gonna take away this thing we got goin'. Ain't no one changing my mind 'cause I know we got it. Ain't nobody. All I gotta do is believe in you and all the world becomes possibility. If you're willing, I'll be wonderful._" Puck watched her smile again and he just wanted her to know that without her, some of his music wouldn't have happened. She'd become like a muse. It didn't matter what any of the songs were about, be it anger or sorrow, soul or body, all he had to do was let her merely cross his mind and the words would flow. The song didn't even have to be about her, but thinking of her made it work. She _was_ his muse. "_I'll be wonderful._" He just kept repeating the line, wondering if she really understood that by her constant belief in him, if she knew what that truly meant. If anyone could grasp a message hidden in notes and words, it would be Rachel Berry. Puck was counting on it.

When he finished, he didn't give her time to meditate on the song. Rachel looked at him, her eyes and mouth full of questions that he couldn't and wouldn't answer at the moment, when he took her hand and started down the hallway of the Rosenberg home. She said something about him leaving his notebook in the main room but he ignored her. The song currently banging on his skull wouldn't be found in those pages.

Puck didn't like to write songs out until they were completely written in his head. While playing 'Willing and Wonderful', another song was busy finishing itself and while that one had been for _them_, this one was for _her_. There was no time to write it out. It had to be played.

Rachel didn't know what was going on until she saw Noah sit at the baby grand piano in Jonathan Rosenberg's study. But when he started playing, no music in front of him, just his fingers to the keys, she didn't need to ask questions. He never looked away, singing the words '_musical soulmate_' directly to her. It made her feel helpless and powerful all at the same time. Noah was, right before her eyes, writing a song for her. "_It makes no difference where you come from. I don't care if you need my love. You know I'll be there. I swear I wanna sing to the world, no need to keep it a secret. You are the one, the only, my musical soulmate._" She drew a shaky breath, feeling the happiest of tears sting at the corners of her eyes, and found herself completely lost for words. Rachel clasped her hand over her mouth, afraid of something slipping out, and continued to hold his gaze with no intention of breaking it.

Ending with a delicate plink of notes and a look that seemed to burn into her body, Noah got up from the piano bench. Before he could take a step, she was on him. Music got her hot, he totally should've expected this reaction. Her legs clamped around his waist and he held her tight as she fused her mouth to his. Rachel slipped her tongue past his lips with ease, feeling the cold lacquer of the piano touch the backs of her thighs. She was caught up in the power he'd granted her with that song, with the whole night, that she didn't even register his nimble fingers working the buttons of her shirt. He bit at her shoulder to make her gasp into the empty room only to sooth the mark with his tongue a second later. Rachel's nails scratched at his scalp when his mouth began to travel down her chest. She could vividly remember the last time his mouth had been where he was headed and one thing was certain, it had been too damn long. Straps seemed to slide down her shoulders on their own, freeing the small globes to his dark eyes. The ache between her thighs was growing persistent, too much to ignore, so she rolled her hips against the piano top. Noah seemed to know exactly what she needed.

Puck released her peak with a pop and slid his hand up her thigh, under her skirt. His other hand carded through her hair as he looked up into her pleading brown eyes. "Can I," he asked softly, not wanting to alarm her. He wasn't really sure if this would break her rule but as far as he was concerned, his dick wasn't getting wet so nothing would be broken. But whether or not she would think along the same lines, he couldn't be sure. His fingers were right on the lining of her underwear when she deliberately shifted her body and rolled onto his hand. That was answer enough for him. The soft mewl Rachel released when his finger dragged up her slit was like a song of its own. She lifted her hips for him so he could remove her panties and held onto his neck as his digits worked inside her. Puck wrapped his other arm around her body and carried her over to the leather couch against the wall. Rachel straddled him with ease, continuing to ride his fingers as his thumb brushed her clit in a steady rhythm. He was amazed because her bare breasts were at eyelevel but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her face. Her lips were swollen and the flush of her cheeks trailed down her neck to her chest. She was making to softest of sounds, an occasional 'yes', but nothing more. Her eyes were open but she was lost in the sensation of his fingers deep within her body.

The heat was building, the tension coiling tighter than she'd ever felt it before. It was more than his fingers. It was his voice, his songs, his mouth, tongue, mind, soul, it was just _him_. When she came around his fingers, her breath stopped in her throat and her lips fell open. Even though her body was gripping him like a vice, he never stopped the movement, the curling, of his hand inside her, dragging her orgasm out longer than she thought possible. He rubbed his thumb along the side of her clit, held her as she kept shaking against his chest. It wasn't until he swiped his tongue across one of her nipples that she seemed to find her voice. She got even tighter than before, slipping quickly into another wave and moaning his name in this completely shameless way that was honestly the best thing he'd ever heard in his life.

By the time she fully came down, her head was leaning on his shoulder and her breathing had evened out. But the way she wasn't looking at him made him worry that she was regretting it. "Baby, are you okay," he asked softly. The tiny smile she was sporting when she raised her head filled him with relief.

"I'm perfect Noah." As if to prove her point, Rachel ducked her head and began to kiss him with this slow intensity that he wasn't used to with her. "That was, wow." He couldn't help chuckling a little.

"You've said that a lot tonight babe." Her eyebrow quirked up and she moaned again when he withdrew his fingers from under her skirt. With a lustful gaze on his hand, still dripping with her juices, she whispered,

"You've deserved it a lot tonight. _A lot_." He grinned at her. When she moved to stand and wobbled on her legs, he wanted to give himself a high five. That was his doing. But suddenly without her weight in his lap, he was painfully aware of what their actions had done to him. Rachel was fastening her bra as he groaned getting up from the couch.

"I'll be right back." He got to the restroom down the hall in only a few steps. Just getting his jeans lowered almost made him shoot off on the wall. Puck realized what had just happened, how amazing and hot it had been, but he still couldn't understand why it felt like he was two fists from coming as hard as he could. It only took one pump before the milky fluid was dripping down the sink drain and no matter how tight he clenched his teeth, her name was very audible within his groan of pleasure. Out of breath, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. That had _never_ happened before. It was getting a lot deeper than he'd anticipated.

As she stepped back into her panties, Rachel heard her name being moaned down the hall and it was clear that Noah was taking care of himself. She immediately felt guilty that she hadn't had the chance to help him as he'd helped her. Her hand smoothed over her hair and clothing while her brain replayed what had just taken place. Now that she'd started something, she wasn't sure if she would be able to stop. She wasn't sure that she would even let Noah stop next time. Oh god, she was imagining a _next_ time already and not even a full ten minutes had taken place since the _first_ time. This was more than she expected.

What happened now?

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><p><strong>an2: I wrote a Samcedes one-shot! If you like them, or like Puckleberry because I featured them in it, you might want to check it out. Love you guys! Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n: Hello everyone! Thank you as always for the amazing support with this story and all of my others. It honestly makes me happy. I wanted to apologize for the time it's taken me to get this chapter out. My muse left me for a bit but I dragged her back. Also, if you haven't read my one-shot 'Green Lights' yet, give it a go. It's A/U Smuckleberry so I think you'll enjoy it. For this chapter, a very important detail is revealed that will help later on. See if you can guess what it is! I don't own Glee, 'Beauty & the Beast', or 'A Whole New World'. Enjoy and please review!**

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><p>Santana looked at the sweater with disgust. What fucktard of fashion had the bright idea to put a lion and an antelope on the same damn top? Those animals were mortal enemies. What made it worse was that Rachel had actually bought the fucking thing. She quickly slid the article of clothing down the rack and moved on to the next ugly shirt in her friend's closet. Santana had learned that she could almost convince Rachel to wear just about anything by using the phrase 'Puck will blow his load'. Okay, maybe not that <em>exact<em> phrase but a more polite version of it. Either way, Santana liked to help Rachel make Puck drool. The boy already reverted to a caveman whenever he saw the smaller girl, getting that look in his eyes that clearly stated he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and fuck her into the nearest hard surface. And while she knew for a fact that Puck got off on Rachel's little pedo-fetish outfits, (it was totally paying off being friends with both of them, Rachel and Puck confided in her so she got both sides, every juicy detail, of every story) it was still fun to put Rachel in outfits from her own closet that she wouldn't normally put together. The girl kept the things they wore as costumes for Glee club performances but she rarely wore them afterwards. Santana was working to change that.

She'd already found a pair of knee-high boots Rachel had from one of the boy-girl battles they'd done. Those were definitely getting used. Two skirts, one was green and white plaid which would probably match whatever Puck was wearing and the other was black with pink pinstripes, had already made the cut. Santana just needed to find a couple of blouses that didn't make her want to throw up and she would have the outfits that Rachel could choose from to wear on her date. Finally, her eyes landed on a white tank top that had a decorative pink flower design down towards the hem. It was simple and could go with both skirts. Knowing that Rachel and Puck were going to a movie, keeping Rachel's arms bare would be beneficial because Puck could warm her up. See? This was fun.

"Okay B, I've got the clothes. Did you figure out that fishtail braid or do I need to show you again?" Santana was laying the skirts and top out on the bed when Rachel's bathroom door opened. She looked up and couldn't help the way her tongue darted out of her mouth to wet her lips at the sight. That was the price you pay when your best friend is as hot as Rachel. The other girl had her long hair swept over her shoulder in a messy fishtail braid. She looked natural with light makeup and pink gloss (Santana was guessing _strawberry_) on her full lips. The oversized t-shirt, which looked suspiciously like Puck's, she was nervously tugging at kind of made Santana want to throw the clothes back in the closet and tell her to go just like that. "Damn Rachel, you look hot! Seriously, damn."

"Thank you," Rachel said with a smile. "After you got it started for me, the braid wasn't as hard as it looked." Santana rolled her eyes and sat down on the bed beside the clothes she'd laid out before.

"I was talking about you, not the braid. Now tell me, when you stole this t-shirt of his, were you just trying to get back at Puck for swiping so many pairs of your panties?" Rachel looked guiltily down at the old Pantera t-shirt she was wearing and realized that there was no possible way she'd be able to convince Santana that it belonged to one of her dads.

"It smells like him, and I wanted it. He hasn't said anything about it so I'm guessing he doesn't miss it too much." Santana snorted as she unzipped the boots.

"He's probably just hoping you'll model it for him or something. I'm willing to bet that if he saw you wearing his clothes, he'd be so turned on that the only goal in his head would be making you forget all about that damn rule of yours. And don't even try to tell me you haven't thought about it. Every time I'm over here, I see a new pack of batteries. Now what on earth could those be used for? A toy perhaps? I guess it's been getting used overtime now that you and Puck keep going below the belt. Just tell me this, does knowing how good he is with his mouth make it easier on you? Or is it harder now, each time you see him, just knowing that you could just say the words and he'd be on you faster than I can say 'why don't you two just fuck already'?"

Rachel hated that Santana was right, not only about her vibrator usage but about her situation with Noah as well. She'd adopted a type of 'everything but' addendum after their date at the Rosenberg house. It became clear to her that knowing what he could do with his hands only made her curious as to the rest of him. She quickly found that his mouth was good for more than just kissing. Noah didn't seem to have a problem with her lack of a gag reflex either. At first, it had helped. Technically, it still helped. But knowing that they were so close to that line, it was torturous sometimes.

"Both," she reluctantly answered. "The first night, when he played his music for me, I was just so overwhelmed with everything and it was amazing. I don't regret it, any of it. I just assumed that it would be easy." Santana could hear the hesitance in Rachel's voice and knew that her friend wasn't telling her something. She crossed her legs as Rachel sat down beside her on the bed, still tugging at the Pantera t-shirt. The girl knew she'd have to broach this subject with caution which, let's be honest, was not her strong suit.

"Rach, believe me when I say that I'm telling you this as a friend, but why can't you just have sex with him already? You both want it. And I distinctly remember a girl standing in front of celibacy club proclaiming that it was a joke and that girls want sex just as much as boys." Santana crossed her arms, bracing herself for Rachel's argument. But Rachel just sighed softly and laid down.

"I still believe that, possibly even more now. But I've told you repeatedly that I want our relationship to grow before we engage in sexual intercourse. I don't want to jeopardize what we have together because I really care for him and I know that he cares for me. I just think waiting is what's best. And then when it finally happens, it can really mean something for the both of us. Until that time…" Rachel paused, trying to think of the right words. Santana beat her to it.

"You're just gonna use other methods to fuck each other. Got it." She patted Rachel's leg and noticed the lace underwear the girl was wearing underneath Puck's shirt. With a small groan, she pulled one of the skirts out from under Rachel's body. "Okay, you're wearing this cute tank I found and these boots but you have to pick a skirt."

Rachel looked at the two skirts that Santana had picked out for her and smiled. She really liked the plaid one but the black was one that she knew Noah had never seen before. It could serve as a nice surprise. With a smile, she grabbed the pinstriped skirt and got up from the bed. Once the skirt was zipped, she pulled the t-shirt off. She took a deep breath when the shirt was over her head, breathing in that soap and outdoors scent that was all Noah. Sometimes, she found herself hugging him a little longer just to fill her senses with that smell. Holding the tank top up to her body as she looked into the full-length mirror across the room, Rachel hummed indecisively.

"Santana, do you think I should wear a bra with this top?" Santana groaned again and shot a glare at her friend.

"Is this 'torture Santana with the goodies' day? Because it's totally not fair. Besides, you're perky so it's not like you actually need one but if you want a barrier to slow Puck down, you might want to wear one." Rachel stifled her giggle and decided to keep her bra on. Her top in place, she fixed her braid again and smiled at the mirror. "Alright get the boots on so I can get you to Puck's. Somebody should be allowed to enjoy my hard work." Rachel's smile dropped as she sat down beside her friend.

"Can I ask you something?" Santana nodded her head. "Do you think you'll ever be able to get over Brittany?" With a deep breath, she sighed softly.

"I'm not there yet. I mean, I still feel something when I'm around her or when I see her with Artie but mostly I'm just numb. We still hang out but that's mostly when other people are around. It's like I have a conscience now or something because I think about getting her to make out with me like I used to do and I just feel bad about it. She really likes Artie. As much as I care about her, I want her to be happy. She's happier with him than she is with me. I think, I hope at least, one day I'll be over her. But as of right now, I'm taking it one day at a time. So yeah, I'll get over her eventually." She smiled softly at Rachel and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Don't worry about me babe. I'm doing pretty good. Now stop with the mushy mumbo jumbo and put the damn boots on."

Rachel wanted to say more but knew that Santana wouldn't listen to her so she did as she was told and checked everything in the mirror. Her arms were bare but she had a pretty good guess that Santana had planned it that way. With an appreciative sound from her friend, which she took as a good sign, she grabbed her purse off of her desk. "Let's go then."

When they pulled up outside the Puckerman household, Santana put her car in park and turned towards Rachel. "Knock him dead B." With a kiss on the cheek, Rachel got out of the car.

The second she stepped onto the porch, she could hear yelling from inside the house. That was never a good sign. Before she got a chance to knock, the door swung open and Dani Puckerman was staring up at her. The little girl scrunched up her nose before hugging Rachel's waist.

"Mom and Noah are arguing about me. I don't like it." Rachel took Dani's hand so the younger one could lead her into the kitchen. The voices got louder the closer they got.

"Well I can't help that I was called into work Noah! It won't do you any good to blame me. You and Rachel will just have to reschedule your date for some other time. I need you to watch your sister tonight." Neither Sarah Puckerman nor her son had noticed Rachel and Dani standing in the doorway. Rachel watched Noah clench his fists at his sides.

"Ma this is so stupid! Dani can go hang out at one of her friend's houses until I get home. You fucking love Rachel. Help me out here!" Sarah whirled around, finger pointed at her son.

"You know better than to use that language around me. Now it's simply too short notice to expect any of Danielle's friend's parents to be able to take her for the night. Not to mention ridiculous when I have a son perfectly capable of watching her for the evening. I'm sure that Rachel will understand." Rachel could see that Noah was about to continue arguing so she stepped into the kitchen and cleared her throat.

"Mrs. Puckerman, Noah, we can watch Dani tonight. In fact, why don't we just take her to the movie with us? It'll be fun." Sarah looked at Rachel for a moment, half embarrassed because of the argument she'd witnessed and half grateful to have such a wonderful girl dating her son.

"Oh sweetie thank you so much! See Noah, I told you it wouldn't be a problem. Now I really need to get going. You kids have fun!" With a quick hug, Sarah Puckerman was out the door and Noah was leveling a somewhat murderous glare at Rachel. Rachel returned his glare and then bent down to Dani.

"Dani, why don't you go upstairs and get your shoes on? We can figure out what movie we want to see on the way to the theatre." Dani nodded her head and ran upstairs. Rachel placed her hands on her hips. "Noah she's your sister. I think you hurt her feelings because you were arguing about spending time with her." He rolled his eyes with a scoff.

"I wasn't arguing about spending time with Dani. I was arguing about having to spend time with both of you at the same time. Come on Rach, you know there's stuff we do when we're alone that there's no way in hell we can do when Dani's in the room. I've tried it before." Puck walked over to her, a grin accompanying his swagger as he backed her up against the door jamb. "Besides," he whispered, "I was totally looking forward to getting you to myself, in a big dark room, where I can do this." He swiped his tongue across her bottom lip before she could say anything and kissed her softly. "You look really hot babe. I'm starting to miss the knee socks whenever Santana plays 'Life-Size Rachel Barbie' though." Before he could kiss her again, Rachel turned her head away from him.

"Please apologize to your sister when she gets back down stairs." He mumbled a reluctant 'okay' and slid his hand up her thigh. She was _so_ soft. Puck started kissing her neck and smiled when she finally turned her mouth back to him. After a few minutes, they both heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Rachel gently pushed him away but he just laughed.

"Noah, are you mad at me?" The small voice was out of place coming from his usually rowdy little sister. He realized then that he actually had hurt her feelings. Puck knelt down in front of her and gently rubbed her shoulders.

"I'm not mad at you Dani. I just wanted to have fun with Rachel tonight and then Ma told me that I'd have to cancel our plans. But Rachel figured it all out so we're all going to the movie together. I couldn't be mad at you squirt." Dani threw her arms around Noah's neck and hugged him as hard as she could. Rachel smiled at the siblings when Dani asked to see _Captain America_ because she knew that was Noah's influence coming out of her. They were both too adorable for their own good.

At the theatre, Dani situated herself between her brother and his girlfriend. She was a small girl anyway but the giant bucket of popcorn sitting in her lap made her look even tinier. When she'd announced that she wanted to sit beside both of them, not even Noah could say no to the pout she sported. Rachel wanted to laugh at how easily the little girl could sway him. His family was so important to him and she adored that about him.

Dani soon became so enthralled in the film that she took no notice of the teenagers to her left and right. Puck put his arm on the back of his sister's seat just so he could tug on Rachel's braid. Dani paid no attention to the heated glances going on over her head. Rachel quickly understood that he no doubt would have started something had the girl not been there with them. She just wasn't exactly sure what it was he would've attempted in a movie theater or, for that matter, what she would've allowed him to get away with. He was quite persuasive. Just thinking of what Noah was capable of made her body warm and tingly.

Rachel twitched when Noah touched his finger lightly to the shell of her ear. It wasn't long before he was gently rubbing the pads of his fingers against the back of her neck in teasing circles. The last thirty minutes of the movie became a blur to her because she was so focused on not moaning out loud in a partially crowded movie theatre. She crossed her legs so tight they were close to going numb but the ache he was causing wouldn't go away. Noah seemed determined to get a reaction out of her.

Dani ended up falling asleep right before the credits started to roll so Rachel grabbed her giant popcorn bucket and Noah picked her up and rested her head on his shoulder. She mumbled random lines from the movie all the way to the truck and it made Rachel smile. The child was ridiculously adorable and would most likely be a handful once she started dating, especially because she was a Puckerman. Young boys wouldn't stand a chance against her charms. Once Noah had her buckled in the passenger seat, he shut the door. Rachel looked up at him but he couldn't really figure out what that look meant.

"What?" Rachel just shook her head and took his hands in hers.

"I like seeing you in big brother mode. You're all sweet and gentle. Dani's lucky to have you." Puck leaned against the side of the truck and pulled Rachel closer. With a soft chuckle, he replied,

"You should tell her that next time she has a bitch fit and calls me the worst brother ever." The lights in the parking lot cast a harsh shadow on his face, making his cheeks and jaw look even more angular than usual. His smile looked devilish and it only served to remind her of the reason she'd been crossing her legs during the movie. "So I decided that I'm not taking you back to your house." Rachel raised an eyebrow at that.

"What was the plan exactly? Hide me under your bed until your mom goes to sleep?" Puck grinned really wide and pecked her on the lips.

"I actually hadn't thought of that but if you're open to it, my closet is probably more comfortable. You wouldn't have to steal my clothes then because they'd be right there." She released a small gasp and poked him in the stomach.

"By that logic Noah, I should just stick you in my underwear drawer." That made him laugh out loud. He tugged her arms up until she wrapped them around his neck and then curved his hands around her hips.

"I could probably live with that. I'm sure there's a few pairs I haven't seen yet anyway. But either way, what I meant was I'll take you home later tonight but not right now. I haven't really had you to myself all week long and now that Dani's asleep, we can have a little fun." Puck leaned down and traced the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips. Rachel sighed contentedly against his mouth, just sinking into his kiss and wishing he wouldn't stop. She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged just enough to make him groan. It took a minute before she realized that they were still in the parking lot of the movie theatre. Parking lots were becoming a habit for them it seemed.

"Let's get Dani home before you start anything else tonight." Puck removed her hands from his neck and laced his fingers through hers before leading her around to the driver's side.

On the ride back to the Puckerman house, Dani shifted in her seat so that her head was lying on Rachel's shoulder. The girl mumbled the word 'beast' in her sleep and Rachel wasn't really sure what she meant by that. Noah chuckled softly beside her and whispered,

"Yeah squirt, I'll sing to you when we get home." Rachel looked up at him wondering how on earth he could've translated 'beast' into 'will you sing to me'. He saw the confused look on her face and smiled. "When she was younger, she used to have nightmares and she would wake up in the middle of the night. I started singing her back to sleep and after a while, it just became a thing with us. She doesn't have the nightmares anymore but she still asks me to sing her to sleep sometimes. 'Beauty and the Beast' is usually the song she wants me to sing." Rachel felt like she could get cavities by how sweet he was with the little girl. It was such a contradiction to how he was at school or alone with her. He was sweet with her but with Dani, it was different.

They were quiet the rest of the drive across town to make sure Dani didn't wake up, nothing but the radio playing low in the background. Puck absently rubbed his thumb over Rachel's until they pulled into his driveway. Rachel kissed his cheek as he helped her out of the truck and then took his keys from him so she could open the front door while he carried Dani behind her.

Once he made it up the stairs, Dani was sort of like a tiny zombie, just lucid enough to take on the menial task of untying her shoes and changing into her pajamas. She crawled into her bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin while Noah left the room to go get his guitar. Rachel wasn't sure where she should sit but then he came back with his guitar in one hand and his rolling desk chair in the other. She took the seat and he plopped down on the bed, careful not to sit on his sister's feet. When he pulled the guitar up to play, he had this serene smile on his face that made Rachel sigh.

The intro was simple, he'd played it a thousand times before, and his fingers worked the frets without really trying. He'd been forced to change the arrangement up a little bit since getting older had made his voice change. The first time he squeaked out '_just_ _a_ _little_ _change_', Dani had laughed herself to sleep rather than him singing her to sleep. He kept the tone of the song soft, barely letting the words of the Disney classic whisper across his lips. Puck purposely got quieter towards the end of the song because her eyelids were starting to droop. But the second he stopped playing, her eyes popped open even though her voice was sleep-addled.

"That was pretty Noah." He grinned at his sister and leaned over, kissing her on the forehead.

"Sleep tight kid." Suddenly, her hands flew out from under the covers and she grabbed both Puck's and Rachel's wrists.

"One more, pretty please?" Rachel fought the smile on her face at the look of the little girl fighting sleep and using the most adorable pout on the planet to get what she wanted. She could practically see Noah melting at the big puppy dog eyes Dani was using on him. With a sigh, Noah sat back down.

"Just _one_. What do you want to hear?" The completely devilish look that crossed the girl's face was all Puckerman and it made Rachel think that Dani had been planning her next request for a while.

"Well since Rachel's here, will you both sing 'A Whole New World'?" Noah looked at Rachel, pretty positive that she wouldn't have a problem with it but he didn't want to answer for her just in case. Rachel gave him a bright smile and nodded her head. Dani proceeded to resituate herself in her bed, quite pleased with herself for getting the older teens to do what she wanted.

Once he started playing, it took Rachel just a second to get the feel of his mellowed out, somewhat jazzy, acoustic version. She suspected that he'd arranged it himself. His talent never ceased to amaze her. When he began singing though, he didn't look at his sister. His eyes were on her, as though he was anticipating a reaction of some sort but she couldn't figure out what. Hearing his voice singing the word _princess_ made her smile wider than she thought it should be.

She kept her voice soft like his, harmonizing with him, and thinking the entire time of how many sides this boy had. Each layer she discovered about him made everything better, harder, but worth it. The feelings she could sense welling up in her heart and mind were more than justified, especially with the way he was singing those words to her, and suddenly, as cliché as it sounds, she could see them both in a new world. A different world, with skyscrapers and loud noises, far away from Ohio. It scared and excited her all at once.

Puck ended the song with a gentle plucking of the strings, glancing down to see Dani's fingers curled into her palm. She was out. As slowly as he could, he got up from the bed and took Rachel's hand. He left the chair behind because it would make too much noise to roll it out. They didn't say anything to each other until the door to his room was shut behind them.

He was putting his guitar back in its case when Rachel sat down on his bed with her leg crossed. Her skirt had ridden up and her thighs were just _right there_. Her arms were bare because of her tank top but if he looked close enough, he could see the flimsy white lace underneath. He automatically wondered if her panties matched, or if he'd already stolen the matching pair and she'd had to go with others. The thoughts made him clench his teeth.

"I'm sorry we didn't really get to be alone tonight. For what it's worth, I really like seeing all these different sides of you Noah. You're the self-proclaimed badass at school, an exceptionally talented musician, singer and songwriter, you're charming and obscenely attractive. But then when you're with your family, I get to see even more." Puck grinned and sat down beside her on the bed.

"I'm like a dodecahedron babe." Chuckling at the shocked look on her face, he bumped his shoulder against hers. "I might've gone to a math class last week, picked up a couple words. If you want, I've got a few other sides you might be interested in." He grinned again and turned his body towards hers. She sighed softly when his hand cupped her thigh, squeezing gently as she tipped her head to sip at his lips. Puck pushed at her a little, and she pushed back. Feeling her skin under his fingertips started to get to him, making him want more. Rachel was apparently feeling the same because the next thing he knew, she was climbing on top of him and straddling his lap. She was right where he needed her, but the clothes were in the way. Her rules were also in the way but that's beside the point. Puck didn't waste any time slipping his hands under the hemline of her skirt, grabbing her ass and pulling her down. Her tongue slipped past his lips and into his mouth, curling around his as he swallowed a moan from her. That made him remember that they weren't alone in the house.

"Rach," he pulled away, "you gotta be quiet." She nodded her head and went right back to kissing him. Rachel continued to move her hips, grinding her body down onto his. It didn't take very long for him to lay back on the bed and pull her down with him. He just wanted more, to feel her everywhere. Without breaking their kiss, Puck deftly slipped his finger past the edge of her panties. As soon as he felt the moisture though, she wrapped her hand around his wrist and tugged his hand out from under her skirt. He looked up at her with questioning eyes but she just shook her head.

"You told me to be quiet Noah. You know for a fact that I can't guarantee that when your hands are," she paused, biting her lip like she couldn't think of the words. "When you're down there," she finished lamely. He snickered at the fact that she still couldn't say certain things.

"So I can't do anything," he asked. The thought of that made him a little sad. Making Rachel fall apart was amazing and he loved when she let him do it. When Rachel's lips curled into a smirk though, his body definitely responded.

"Well I wouldn't say you can't do anything. _You_ could be quiet." The statement didn't make any sense until she began to slide down his body. She popped the button on his jeans with practiced ease and quickly unzipped them. He wasn't wearing any underwear so when Rachel slid her hand around the base of his dick, he moaned louder than he should have. "Shut it Puckerman," she said with a firm squeeze. Puck sat up as she continued to slide down until she was on her knees in the floor. He was so hard it was almost painful and if the last couple of times she'd done this were any indication, this wouldn't last long. He really wasn't sure what it was, feeling her mouth around him, watching himself disappear inside her, listening to the soft little sounds she made as she sucked, or the combination of it all, but every time she did this for him, he was gone within minutes.

Rachel placed her mouth to the tip and sucked lightly, almost teasing or daring him to make a sound, but he didn't. She took him deeper into her mouth and allowed her tongue to roll against the underside of him, feeling the soft skin there. He was beginning to breathe harder so she reached up and cupped his balls in her hand. Rachel took her mouth off of him completely and smiled up at him. "Do you want me to keep going Noah?" He'd been biting the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something and he was afraid that he might actually yell if he even attempted to say anything. He nodded as eagerly as he could which made her grin again. Rachel leaned forward and trailed her tongue down one side of his shaft only to go back up the other side. Puck just knew that his mouth was going to start bleeding but he didn't even care. She was so fucking good. The second she sucked him back into her mouth, she made this humming noise that made his skin vibrate and his body started to shake.

She was bobbing slowly up and down when she heard it, a door shut outside. That could only mean one thing. One look at Noah told her that he'd heard it too. Her eyes were wide on his but she wasn't sure what to do. That last thing she wanted was to get caught by Mrs. Puckerman in this type of position but she didn't want to leave Noah with blue balls, as he so delicately put it. "Please Rach," he whispered. It was strange, hearing that desperate tone in his voice. She wouldn't lie and say she didn't like it just a little. She knew that this would have to end quickly so she stroked him once before drawing him back into her mouth. As she relaxed her throat to take him all the way, he growled low in his chest above her before she felt the short hot bursts filling her throat. When she swallowed though, he growled again. She tasted another burst as he was pulling out of her mouth. She heard the door downstairs shut and started to worry. Noah seemed frozen to his spot, hands clenched into the edge of the mattress and shoulders as stiff as his penis had just been. When they both heard the stairs creak, he jolted into action pulling her up off of her knees and back on the bed. Just as she heard the zip of his fly, there was a knock on the door to his room. His strangled 'yeah' could've made it sound like he'd been asleep.

"Oh hi Rachel," Sarah Puckerman smiled into the room, "I'm glad you're still here. I wanted to thank you for how sweet and understanding you were with Danielle earlier this evening. It just meant the world to me and she really looks up to you. Noah, thank you too, even though you put up a fight. I really appreciate it." At that point, Puck wasn't really sure if he could breathe. There was more adrenaline in his veins than blood at that moment so he just stared at his mother for a second.

"Um, no problem Ma. I'm gonna take Rachel home now that you're here. I'll be back in a little bit." The woman nodded her head with a smile and stepped down to her daughter's room to check on her. Puck picked up one of his button-up shirts and pulled Rachel up from the bed. Throwing it around her shoulders, she followed him down the stairs almost sprinting to keep up with him and didn't stop until they ran into the side of his truck.

They looked at each other for a second and broke into a fit of laughter that was wholly inappropriate for the time of night. Neither one of them cared. They'd almost gotten caught by his mother, but hadn't. If anything, nervous laughter was the only thing keeping them both sane at the moment.

"I can't believe that happened," Rachel breathed once she finally got calm enough to speak. Puck stepped over to her to say something but couldn't really find any words. So he just bent his head down and kissed her long and slow. Rachel had already given him a life-altering blowjob but then pair that with almost getting caught, he just wanted to worship her for a little bit. She deserved it.

He pulled away when they were both fighting for air and rested his forehead on the truck window behind her. Rachel scratched at his neck in a soothing motion, just lightly tugging on his hair. "Rachel," he whispered against her neck, "you are fucking amazing." She giggled softly into the night air in response.

As he watched her disappear into her house a few minutes later, he tilted his head back and stared at the roof of his truck with an awed smile on his lips. If the night had been able to have been a real date, there was no telling what could have happened. But the way it had ended, even almost getting caught by his mom, made him a little more excited for their next five dates.

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><p>Rachel had taken off her tank top and was slipping her arms back into the long sleeves of the button-up shirt Noah had tossed her way, she wanted to sleep in it instead of the Pantera t-shirt, when she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her braid looked a little sloppier than how she'd fixed it, her cheeks were still flushed and her lips were slightly bruised. She was really starting to like that look on herself, what Santana would call 'thoroughly fucked'. Knowing that Noah was the reason for that look made her shiver slightly. What made it even better was that they only had three more dates before she could take on that look for real. It was exciting to think about, but also maddening. Just imagining it sent these warm tingles all over her body. She could wait three more dates, she had to. It was her rule after all.<p>

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><p><strong>Hehe, see what I did there? Hope you enjoyed it!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: Hey people! First off, I would like to thank everyone who voted for me in Puckleberry Fanfiction Awards! Chase the Morning won first place for Best Comedy and third place for Best A/U! The people I was up against made me think there was no chance of me winning anything. But thanks to you wonderful people, I won! I'm still stoked about it and it's been a couple of weeks! I love you guys! Okay, for this chapter, sorry that it took so long. My muse, as you know, is a mondo bitch but last night I withheld sleep from myself until I finished the chapter. Didn't sleep until two in the morning but I finished it! Now, there's like ten songs mentioned in this chapter and I don't own any of them! Thanks guys! Hope you like and please review! I don't own Glee…**

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><p><em>He'd had this dream before, many times, but that didn't mean it wasn't one of the best dreams ever. When she climbed through his window, she was wearing this blue dress with tiny ducks all over it. He would have laughed if he hadn't known what was coming. Rachel stayed where she was by his open window, like she was waiting for something. Puck sat up in his bed with a grin and walked over to her. Once he was standing in front of her, she reached out to him, brushing her hand over his thigh. That's when he realized that he wasn't wearing any clothes. He could feel her hand against his skin, the light pressure that she used on him wasn't enough. She began to lift her dress up slowly, inch by inch.<em>

_ "Come on Rachel," he whispered. She dropped the hemline back down and smiled up at him when he growled impatiently._

_ "Would you rather do it yourself?" Like always, there was a challenging lilt in her voice, almost taunting him. Instantly, he bunched the fabric of her dress in his hands and lifted it up over her head. Her breathing sped up, as did his, when he tossed the garment to the side. He took her hands in his and guided her over to his bed. She turned around and got on the bed, standing on her knees until he followed suit. Puck cradled her head in his hands and groaned when she bit her lip. She was just so damn sexy and she didn't even have to try. He wanted to feel her skin on his so he pulled her closer and tilted her head up. Instead of going straight for her mouth however, he pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat and sucked at the skin. The moan she released vibrated in her throat, tickling his mouth and making him smile. She began to get impatient after a few seconds and used her hands to direct him upwards. When Rachel nipped at his bottom lip, Puck whispered out her name. She ran her fingers down his chest, slowing down over his abs like she was memorizing the ridges of his muscles, and then continued the descent._

_ His breath hitched when she wrapped her hand around his dick in that eager way that she always did. Rachel's mouth never missed a beat as her fingers closed around him just a little tighter. He needed to be inside her, to feel her squeezing the life out of him in the most amazing way, and he needed it as soon as possible. Like she'd read his mind or something, Rachel let him go and pulled away from him. He was confused for a moment until she laid down on the bed and opened her legs just a little more. Puck smoothed his hand up her thigh towards her center which made her squirm a little. He let his thumb brush against her hipbone before giving her a soft but hungry smile. She stared up at him, her impatience shining in her eyes again, and he knew that being polite and asking would just earn him a dirty look. Her hips arched upwards and she whimpered quietly, already craving the release he wanted to provide for her._

_ The sound she made as he entered her was better than any song he'd heard in his life. His eyes darkened as he watched her hand pluck at her nipple. She hissed in pleasure as he thrust, arcing into the air while her leg tightened around his hip. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the valley between her breasts, taking in the utterly pure taste of her skin. Puck moved his mouth up to hers and swallowed the sounds she made each time their bodies met. He could feel the way she clenched around him, deliberately tightening her muscles and it seemed as though the temperature of his world rose about twenty degrees. He grabbed her other leg and pulled it up to his shoulder, making her gasp when he plunged even deeper. Puck turned his head and placed a soft kiss to her ankle. She reached up at him, scraping her fingernails down his chest. He continued to move his hips down onto hers, feeling his balls tightening with every thrust. Her moans kept getting louder and he loved the way she started to say his name the closer she got to her peak. He wanted to say something, anything, to make her fall over the edge but the words just wouldn't form in his mind._

His eyes opened and he groaned in frustration. Even his dreams seemed to cock block him. That shit was not cool. When he sat up, he didn't recognize his surroundings immediately. That's when he remembered that his history class had a sub that day so he'd skipped to take a nap in the nurse's office. As Puck looked around the room, he realized he wasn't alone. But the room's other occupant, instead of being the elderly school nurse, was none other than the object of the dream he'd just been unable to finish.

Rachel was sitting at the desk with her pink laptop open and typing away. He could see her legs crossed underneath the desk, covered in plain black knee socks. She glanced in his direction and smiled when she saw that he was awake.

"I had a free period and I knew that Mr. Reynolds was out today so I figured I would find you here. I had every intention of waking you up but you were just so sweet looking that I couldn't bring myself to do it. You said my name a few times actually." Her giggle made him think she knew the reason why he'd said her name in his sleep. Puck stood up and stretched his arms over his head, looking around the room for his plaid shirt. Now that he was awake, the nurse's office was kind of cold with only his muscle shirt covering him. Once he found it and pulled it back on, he walked over to the desk. That's when he noticed that _his_ iPod was plugged into _her_ laptop.

"Wasn't that in my pocket," he asked, pointing to the device. Rachel looked up and nodded with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Well when I saw that you were sleeping, I remembered that I had a playlist that I wanted to give you. I brought my laptop to school today so I thought that instead of making you a CD, I could just put the playlist on your iPod. When I couldn't find it in your backpack, I searched your pockets and found it there." Puck remembered, in his very realistic dream, that he'd felt Rachel's hand on his thigh. He grinned proudly down at her and brushed her hair away from her neck so he could press his lips to her pulse. She hummed softly.

"You stole my iPod _and_ gave me a pat-down in the process? That's badass babe." He pulled a chair around and sat next to her, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "So what's on this playlist? Am I even gonna know half of the stuff on there?" Rachel giggled and bumped his shoulder with hers.

"Yes I think you'll be familiar with most of them and if you aren't, well that's what the playlist is for in the first place. I titled it 'Songs I Would Like to Hear Noah Grace with His Lovely Voice'." Puck snorted a laugh and tilted his head over on her shoulder.

"Yeah I'm totally changing that to something better when I get home." To that, Rachel turned towards him with a small frown and those big eyes looking all sad. "Okay, or not. I'll keep the dopey name. Show me the songs." She smiled like she'd won something and turned the laptop so he could see it better. He was somewhat surprised that they didn't all suck.

"I realized that you probably wouldn't consider anything from Broadway a good addition to your music collection but I've taken a vow to broaden your horizons. However, easing you into it is probably the best bet so I've chosen a few songs from _American Idiot_ and _Spring Awakening_ as the base of the playlist and then I included some other songs unrelated to the theatre that I would simply like to hear you sing. There's a character in _American Idiot_, Tunny, whose songs would work perfectly with your voice. My favorite is 'Are We the Waiting' and you would sound fantastic on it. I was also thinking that you and I could possibly perform 'Extraordinary Girl' for Glee next time we have a duet assignment." Rachel then opened the binder sitting beside her laptop and started flipping through it. As she was doing that, he saw that, in addition to the two songs she'd just mentioned, the playlist also included 'Give Me Novacaine' and 'American Idiot' which he'd always thought were alright songs. If somebody had turned Green Day's music into a Broadway musical, he was definitely gonna have to check that out. The thought had barely formed in his mind when Rachel pushed a small stack of papers into his hands.

"What's all this," Puck asked, without bothering to read the first line. Rachel pointed to the top page and replied,

"I took the liberty of printing out the synopsis of _American Idiot_ for you and the song lyrics for all of the songs I've included in this playlist, specifically highlighting Tunny's lines in the songs that's he's featured in." Girl read his fucking mind! "The synopsis for _Spring Awakening_ is also among the papers, just in case you forgot the last time I explained it to you and forced you to watch YouTube videos." He hadn't forgotten, but it didn't hurt to have a reminder apparently. Rachel was that reminder. "You seemed to like 'The Bitch of Living' and 'Totally Fucked' so I included those songs on the playlist as well." Actually, his favorite part about those two songs was listening to Rachel sing and cuss along with them but he had a feeling she knew that already. "The more emotionally charged songs 'And Then There Were None' and 'Those You've Known' I felt would inspire you to write more since you're so connected with your music." He wanted to kiss her for that never ending support and encouragement she provided. Having someone that honestly believed in you, especially when you really cared about that person, made a lot of difference.

Puck chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment, still wanting nothing more than to kiss her and show her how much he actually appreciated the way she pushed him and encouraged him. The whole town thought he was a fuck-up, and he'd spent a good portion of his life proving them right. But Rachel had always refused to accept that and he never really knew why until right then. People might say that they were opposites but the truth of the matter was they were way more alike than anybody realized. They were both determined to get out of that soul sucking little town while everyone around them was saying it would never happen. But she never let it get to her, and she constantly worked to make sure it didn't get to him. Sometimes, it felt like she could actually scare her future into happening the way she'd planned it. More often than not over the past few months, Puck had imagined himself as a part of those plans. It was stupid and rash, but it felt right too. He leaned over and gave her lips a soft but passionate peck, knowing she wouldn't let him get away with much more since there was a glass wall behind them, and turned his attention back to the computer screen. "That's pretty cool Rach. So what are some of the songs that wouldn't be found at the Tony Awards?"

Rachel grinned and gently elbowed him in the side. "Those proved to be a bit more difficult to pin down. I wanted songs that could really mean something. I chose 'Faster' by Matt Nathanson because I remember it came on the radio once and you told me that the line about biting your lip reminded you of me. I also think you could have fun with it if you ever chose to perform it. And then Lady Antebellum's 'Just a Kiss' kind of has a special meaning to me with our relationship. I thought it would make a nice duet since we did such a good job on our last one." Rachel purposely left out the meaning that the song held for her. She could feel herself falling in love with Noah, but she didn't want to push her luck. With her past experience, limited as it was, getting her heart broken seemed inevitable. She'd wanted to take it slow with Noah mainly because she always rushed into things and ended up coming off as too intense. More than anything, she wanted him around. Rachel didn't want to scare him off, no matter how many times he insisted that 'her crazy level was balanced out by her hotness level'. While her urges would at times get the best of her, being with him in any way made her happy. She felt that the song articulated that perfectly and with the way that Noah just understood music, she knew that the message she wanted to get across to him by including that song in the playlist wouldn't be lost on him.

Before she had the chance to go through the rest of the songs on the playlist, the bell started to ring which meant school was out for the weekend. Rachel handed his iPod back to him and began packing her laptop up. She watched as he slid the papers she'd given him into a notebook, the same weathered and worn notebook that held his own music, and it made her smile. As he moved around the room to open the door for her, he gave her that smile that only she got to see. The one that was a mix between his usual half-smirk and his leering grin, the one he seemed to use when he was happy. Yeah, that was _her_ smile.

"So what time do you want me at your house in the morning," he asked as he slipped his hand down over hers.

"I think seven would be a good time to start out. What do you think?"

"I think I should just sleep at your house if you're gonna make me get up that early on a fucking Saturday. I promise I'll be a good boy." Rachel snorted and shook her head.

"I'm not even sure that's possible Noah. Plus, my fathers are already skittish about letting me go with you for the entire day anyway. I'd rather not have to cancel the wonderful date we've planned because they catch you in my room when you're not supposed to be." He hung his head in mock defeat, pouting at how quickly she'd shot down his plan.

"But I can be quiet," he whined. She laughed at him but finally resigned.

"Fine, pick me up no later than 7:45. I don't want to get there too late." He rolled his eyes but pushed her up against the lockers to get out of the way of the other students crowding the hallway.

"I'll be there at seven with a grape slushie, but I want something in return. My Pantera shirt went missing and I know you took it. I'm not asking for it back, but I _do_ want to see it again." He leaned down so that his breath tickled her neck and whispered, "If you get what I'm saying." When he kissed the edge of her jaw, her hand involuntarily tightened in his.

"We'll see," she replied shakily, futilely trying to mask the arousal she felt from such a simple action on his part. It really wasn't fair.

"I hope so. See you in the morning babe."

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><p>Rachel stared through the window of Noah's truck as the fresh countryside rolled by. They'd headed to Berlin, Ohio early that morning, just a little over an hour's drive, and the first thing she'd done upon arriving was buy the juiciest looking tomatoes she'd ever seen. Noah laughed at her when she bit into it like an apple but honestly, that's the only proper way to enjoy a tomato like that. Her fathers had always taken her to Amish country as a little girl because they loved the produce. When she'd said something about it to Noah one day, he came up with the idea that they could go and make a date of it.<p>

As she turned her head to look at him, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song coming through the speakers, it was hard not to admire him. And not just his physical attributes either. He was rough around the edges but so was she. His sometimes crude behavior and crass language were growing on her. He always found some way to make her feel like she was the most important person in the room. Then he had this way of making her forget her own name at times that she wouldn't trade for anything. He was just perfect and it was getting harder hard for her to not blurt that out each and every time she saw him.

"Hey, you ever been horseback riding?" Rachel shook herself out of her stupor and saw that Noah was slowing down to turn onto an old dirt road.

"I took lessons as a child but it's been a little while. Why?" Noah looked at her and laughed.

"Are you in la-la land over there? Did you not see that huge ass sign we just passed saying there's stables down here?" No, she was a little busy staring at him to notice a sign, no matter how huge it was.

"I wasn't paying attention," she offered as her excuse. "I didn't know you knew how to ride horses. Why haven't you ever told me that?" Imagining Noah on a horse just added an entirely new fantasy to her list, a list that was starting to take over her thoughts.

"I learned at camp when I was little but it's been a while for me too. But it's like riding a bike right? We can just pick it up again." Rachel didn't recall riding a horse being anything at all like riding a bike. One is a live animal with four powerful legs, the other is an inanimate object with two rolling wheels. Not the same.

"Um, Noah, those two things aren't alike at all." He snorted as his eyes rolled to the top of his head.

"You know what I mean Rachel. You learn it once and you know it for life. I wonder if they have trails or something. If they only let you ride around in a circle pen like a little kid's party, we're leaving and we'll hijack a horse and buggy." Rachel couldn't help giggling as she stepped out of the truck and breathed in the air. The scent actually reminded her of Noah, all outdoorsy and fresh but undeniably masculine.

They walked over to the edge of the stables where a boy, probably in his twenties, was brushing the mane of a beautiful chestnut mare. Once they worked out the cost of renting the horses and where it was okay for them to ride, Rachel stepped into the stable and started looking at the horses. The first horse she came to had a small wooden plaque on its stall door that 'Jake'. Noah stepped up behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back, pushing her forward and away from the horse.

"There's no way in hell you're riding a horse named Jake. Ben Israel would get wind of it somehow and the next thing we know, there's some fucked up story online about how you spent the weekend riding him. And since I'm pretty sure you'd be totally pissed if I beat the shit out of him for it, why don't we just save us all the trouble and put you on a different horse." Two stalls down, he stopped pushing and she looked at the horse he'd stopped her in front of. It was a light brown horse with a black mane named Amos, which made her think of chocolate chip cookies, and she grinned back at Noah. "This one looks normal enough. We don't know any creepers named Amos right? I wonder if this horse likes cookies. That'd be pretty cool."

While her horse was being saddled, Rachel stepped over to where Noah was gently petting a white horse. The name 'Samuel' written on its plaque made her give Noah a warning glance. "Don't make the joke I know you're thinking of Noah." Noah just snickered and continued to pet the horse.

"What," he shrugged, like he was completely guiltless. "I was just wondering about the similarities. Sam's got a big mouth. The horse, Samuel, has a big mouth. Just making observations Rach." His smirk made her roll her eyes slightly as Noah motioned to one of the other boys working the stable that he'd picked Samuel to ride.

He and Rachel walked back outside and saw that her horse was ready. Rachel put her foot into the stirrup and it hit her just how big the horse was. There was no way she would be able to get up on it by herself. "Noah," but before she got the question out, she felt his hands on her hips as he lifted her up high enough so she could easily swing her leg over the saddle. The air whooshed out of her lungs and then back in really fast. She had just adjusted herself on the saddle, finding her center and getting used to the height, when Noah's horse Samuel was guided to a spot a few feet away from her. Rachel instantly got distracted as Noah lifted himself up. She still had yet to see him completely without clothes on but the way his thigh muscles pushed against his jeans made her even more anxious for the day when that would happen. The anticipation made her shiver.

One of the guys at the stable led them both down to where the trail started. It was just a little pathway around the pasture but they were just riding to do something different so it didn't really matter. Puck slowed his horse down just a little bit so he was a few feet behind her. He kept watching her body move with the animal, her legs relaxed at its sides as her hands loosely gripped the reigns. She'd said she'd taken lessons as a child but he was almost sure that her dads would've had her in competitions or something. He was only halfway listening to something she was saying about glee club because he was a little more concerned with the way her ass looked in that saddle. She'd always had this weird authority about her, like if you didn't pay attention to her you would regret it, but up on the horse, it was even better.

Puck finally urged his horse to a quicker gait once he realized that Rachel had sped up. She looked back at him and smiled. "You're really good at this. What kind of camp did you go to?" He got up next to her and pondered for a moment over whether or not he should actually tell her.

"Alright, when I was little, my mom watched a lot of John Wayne movies at night. I would sneak out of bed and sit on the stairs so I could watch too. That kind of started a cowboy phase so I begged her to let me go to this boys' ranch summer camp so I could learn how to be a real cowboy." Rachel laughed out loud when he said that, easily imagining a young Noah Puckerman learning how to rope and ride, saying words like _pardner_ and _y'all_.

"So how did that work out for you," she asked, still laughing. Puck motioned to the horse beneath him.

"Riding a horse is about the only thing I learned there. The whole cowboy thing passed of course but I still like horses and stuff. What about you? Did your dads have you in those weird walking horse competitions where everyone, even the animals, looks like they have a stick up their ass?" Rachel snorted but shook her head.

"I was supposed to learn to be a jumper. But once I learn how to ride, I quit because it was taking time away from one of my dance lessons or something. I was the best rider in my class actually." She shot him a smug little smile that he used to find annoying. Now, it was pretty hot.

"Why does that not surprise me at all?"

By the time they decided to leave the stables, it was later in the day. Sarah Puckerman had invited Rachel over for dinner that night so they figured it'd be alright if they started heading back to Lima. Rachel was munching on some strawberries that Noah had bought earlier that day when he reached over and started rubbing her thigh. But it wasn't the affectionate gesture she was accustomed to. It was more like he was looking for something.

"Um, not that I don't enjoy your wondering hands but, can I help you with anything," she asked lightly. He wasn't even actually paying attention to what he was doing, watching the road and groping her leg. Her question made him look her way though and notice where his hand was along with the curious look on Rachel's face.

"Shit, sorry. Would you believe I was looking for your iPod?" The way her eyebrow rose skeptically told him that no, she wouldn't believe that. "I'm serious. I thought I saw it in your pocket earlier today." Rachel took a final bite from the strawberry in her hand and licked her fingers clean before reaching into the pocket of her jeans, the opposite pocket from the one he was supposedly searching, and revealing her iPod.

"Are you going to tell me why you're groping me for my iPod," she laughed out, holding it just out of his reach.

"I was watching some bootleg stuff online last night from _American Idiot_ and when I got to 'Extraordinary Girl', I thought it was fucking awesome. The whole thing where she comes to him in his dream, and they're flying all over the place, then he falls in love with her. It's pretty cool. I remembered how you said we should use it for a duet and I thought we could maybe listen to it, try it out. Realized just now that I forgot my iPod on my desk at home and you always have yours so, yeah." Rachel took a pause as her throat closed up for a second. Noah using the word 'love' so effortlessly, especially in reference to a song that she thought fit them, caught her off guard. As she tried to mask her sudden silence with a soft cough, she gave him her iPod.

After deciding to just listen to the entire album, they'd barely made it through 'Give Me Novacaine' when the truck started making a horrible noise like it was about to die.

"Noah what's wrong? What's happening?" Puck rolled his eyes. The day had been awesome so far so of course something had to come in at the last minute and fuck it up. He tapped on his gas gauge, watching as the little needle dropped from E to F in the blink of an eye. He really had to get that damn thing fixed.

"We're out of gas," he responded. Her eyes got really big but he put it in neutral and rolled off to the side of the road, preparing for a tirade or rant of some sort. When she still hadn't said anything after he shut the engine off, he turned and tried to look as sorry as possible. "My gauge has been broken for a while now so sometimes it says it's full when it's not. I filled up the other day but I guess I forgot to this morning. I'm sorry Rachel." She swallowed a couple of times, blinking at the windshield like she was trying to figure out where they were.

"So the gas is the only problem then? You didn't run over something and it broke the engine or something?" He had to laugh at that because, well duh if he'd run over anything big enough to 'break the engine' they would've felt it.

"It's just the gas. Problem is there aren't any gas stations for miles. Hope you like walking." Just as he placed his hand on the door to get out, Rachel grabbed his other hand to stop him.

"Wait, I saw a mile marker a few minutes ago. I could just call my dads and they could bring us enough gas to get back to town. We would have to wait for them to get here of course but it would be better than walking miles in search of a gas station and leaving your truck unattended." Puck leaned over in the seat and pressed his lips against hers. She pushed back, which he loved, and threaded her fingers through his hair.

"You're the fucking best," he whispered against her cheek.

While Rachel called her dads, Puck searched his toolbox for the blanket he knew was hidden in there. Once he found it, he shook it out and laid it down in the bed of the truck. He pulled all of the food they'd bought that day, random fruits and vegetables, out of the cab and sat it all out on the blanket. At least if they did get stranded out there for a few hours, they wouldn't starve. After Rachel hung up, she walked around to the back of the truck and her eyes lit up when she saw what he'd done. Yeah, he was good. Plus, past experience told him that Rachel liked picnics.

"Aww, I would almost think you ran out of gas on purpose just so you could work this out." Puck rolled his eyes as helped her up into the bed.

"Yeah babe, that's what happened. Somehow, I managed to put just enough gas in my truck so it would run out at exactly this moment. And then I buried a blanket in the bottom of my toolbox to make it look like I wasn't really expecting to need the thing of course. I also made sure we bought enough food to carry back with us so that when we did break down in this exact spot, we would have something to eat. That's exactly what's happening right now." When she shot him a warning glance because of his sarcasm, he couldn't help it. "Come on Rachel, you know putting that much thought into something that wasn't gonna be seen by more than one person isn't me. That sounds like something _you_ would do actually." With that, she slapped his chest and plopped down on the blanket. He watched her purposely eat a couple of the blueberries that he'd bought for himself. That led to him dropping beside her and obnoxiously eating one of her strawberries.

After minutes had passed of nothing but them eating each other's food just to be spiteful, Rachel started laughing. Her laughter made Puck look at her, strawberry halfway to his mouth and paused in midair. She licked her lips and opened her mouth slightly. Almost in slow motion, Puck took a teasing bite out of the strawberry before bringing it to her lips. The way her mouth curled around it, he was forced to bite back a groan. She swallowed the bite she'd taken and he tried to lean in to kiss her. But Rachel pulled back, forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"Why were you saying my name in your sleep yesterday?" Man she thought of weird times to ask questions. He sat back against the side of the truck and popped a blueberry into his mouth.

"Pretty sure you know the answer to that one." She ducked her head and if he hadn't of known her any better, he would've fallen for the whole shy act.

"I do," she admitted, "but that doesn't mean I don't want you to tell me." Puck stretched his legs out in front of him and let the dream he'd had the day before sort of wash into his brain.

"I was dreaming about you. You snuck in through my window, which seems to happen a lot in my dreams to be honest, just in case you were looking for an entrance or anything for future reference. We had sex. Didn't get to finish because I woke up but that's why I was saying your name in my sleep." He looked back at her as she started to chew on her lip a little bit and decided what the hell. She started it. "You wrapped your legs around me, you clawed at my chest, you moaned my name every time I—"

"Noah," she stopped him, her chest falling heavily each time she exhaled. The look on her face seemed to be a mix of a caution and lust.

"I woke up before I could make you come Rachel. It was just a dream. But I still want to babe. I love it when you fall apart because of me." Since they were out in the open and could be seen by anybody that happened to drive by, he didn't anticipate the reaction he got.

In a flash, Rachel had straddled his legs and pushed him down flat on the blanket. Because her tongue was doing the most amazing things to his mouth, it wasn't until he felt his cock beginning to strain against his boxers that he realized she was grinding against him. With her jeans on, he couldn't really do as much as he would've liked but that didn't stop him for very long. While one hand stayed on her breast, he let his other drift down between her legs. She made a soft noise when she felt his hand and her mouth faltered on his. Puck continued kissing her even when it became clear that she was chasing a release that he then realized would've been so much easier to give her had they stayed in the truck.

She let out a quiet _yes_ against his neck and slowly stopped moving her hips. He couldn't help the goosebumps that broke out over his skin when she took his earlobe between her teeth and tugged gently. As she lazily stroked her tongue against his, they didn't hear the car pull up or the two doors shut.

When Nathan Berry took in the sight of his daughter sprawled out on top of her boyfriend, and neither of the boy's hands could be seen, his first thought was 'good god out in the open like this?'. His husband just rolled his eyes at the teenagers. Nathan walked around to the back and slammed his hand down on the tailgate of the truck.

"Hey! Save it for the wedding day," Nathan yelled, laughing to himself as Rachel and Noah scrambled apart. David touched his shoulder as he sat the gas can down on the ground beside him.

"Take it easy there Tevye," he admonished his husband. Nathan just laughed again as he looked back at the kids in the truck.

"Alright fine, at least save it for a _real_ bed. This can't be comfortable and you're out here in front of the whole damn world." David, Rachel, and Noah covered their faces with their hands. No one could say Nathan Berry wasn't an honest man. It was easy to see where Rachel got it from.

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><p>Puck was a little surprised when his phone beeped later that night with a message from Rachel. Even though it was Saturday, she wasn't usually up that late. When all her text message said was 'check your email', his curiosity was piqued immediately. He was already messing around online, watching some more videos of the more badass stuff on Broadway so he could make his own playlist for Rachel, so he switched over to his inbox. Rachel's was the only message there. When he clicked to open it, his mouth went dry. The only words on the page were 'you said you wanted to see it again' written in bright red letters. The rest of the email was a picture of Rachel wearing his Pantera shirt. In the photo, she was lifting the hem up just enough to reveal the most teasing amount of blue lace. Her hair was all mussed up and her lips were all pink and pouty and <em>fuck fuck fuck<em>!

Well, so much for a dreamless sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**a/u: Hey guys, sorry about the wait. My muse has been even more ADD-riddled lately so focusing has become a problem. This story only has two more chapters left, one of which is the epilogue. I'd hope to have the story marked complete by the time the new season began but that doesn't look like it's gonna be happening. But I'll cut it close. Anyway, I don't own the song 'Everything' or Glee. Some Smuckleberry has been included for your enjoyment so I of course hope you enjoy!**

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><p>He was cooking something on the stove so his back was to her from where she sat at the kitchen table. But the shirt he had on was making her mouth water almost as much the smells filling the kitchen from whatever he was cooking. Rachel let her head tilt to the side for a second, just staring at the way his shoulder blades stretched the fabric of his shirt. If she looked closely, she could see the definition in his thigh muscles through the denim of his jeans. Honestly, if ogling Noah Puckerman was a sport, Rachel Berry would be a world champion gold medalist.<p>

Puck smirked to himself as he felt her eyes skimming up and down the backside of his body. He was almost positive that if he turned around, she would look off and try to pretend that she hadn't been staring at his ass.

Since it seemed like half of their dates always ended up with them getting caught by her dads or by the cops or just having something go wrong, Puck decided that staying close to home might be their best bet. Like, really close to home, _his_ home to be exact. He knew how to cook so he'd surfed the net (plus a few of his mother's cookbooks) and found a recipe for vegan lasagna that wouldn't even take that long to prepare. Finding all of the stuff had been a little harder than he thought it'd be and he was almost scared that it wouldn't turn out that great but, he was trying to be positive. Dani was sleeping over at a friend's house for the whole weekend and his mother had taken a shift at the hospital so she wouldn't be home until at least two in the morning. He wanted to impress Rachel just a little bit with his cooking skills (nobody outside of his family even knew that he could operate anything besides a microwave) and all of the fake cheese and cream stuff he had to use didn't taste that bad. Plus, watching Rachel's eyes darken when he'd chopped up the spinach right in front of her would totally have been worth it. He _may_ have been flexing a little while chopping. Only a little.

The sauce was beginning to get good and bubbly so it was time to start layering everything in the casserole dish. Puck heard Rachel's chair slide against the tile and when he looked over his shoulder, she was making her way across the kitchen to him. "Can I help," she asked softly. He felt her hand on his arm as she looked up at him. Puck hip-checked her with a grin and gestured towards the bowl that he'd already prepared with margarine.

"Sure, grab that baking dish and put it in front of you." Rachel did as she was told. Her fingernails tapped the edge of the glass like she was awaiting further instruction. When he looked down at her again, she had this impatient look on her face that made him laugh. "You wanna do the noodles? We can layer as a team."

"That sounds perfect."

Once they were finished putting everything together, Puck stuck the dish into the oven and started to stick the other pots and pans he'd used into the dishwasher. Rachel looked just a little surprised but he shrugged his shoulders. It'd be a whole lot easier to eat dinner with Rachel if he wasn't constantly worried about her staring at the dirty dishes everywhere.

"It's gonna be about thirty minutes before the lasagna gets done," he began. "You wanna hear something?" Rachel sat back down at the table and smiled hopefully.

"A song?" Puck returned her smile and walked over to place a soft kiss to her lips.

"Yeah. Just give me a second to get my guitar." Rachel watched him as he walked out of the kitchen, waiting until she heard him ascending the stairs before she allowed herself to take a deep breath.

As the air filled her lungs, Rachel bit her lip in an attempt to stave off the knots clenching in her stomach. She was almost certain that the feelings she had for Noah were love but it was hard to tell sometimes. It wasn't the same thing she'd felt with Finn, and she'd been positive at the time that he was the love of her life. What she had with Noah always seemed stronger, deeper, like a connection based on mutual respect for each other. It was like nothing she'd experienced before and that both scared and excited her. Noah could be everything she expected him to be one second, then turn around and do something completely unexpected the next. Being with him, it was thrilling and safe at the same time. He was like the plushest pillow wrapped in an adrenaline rush.

When he came back in the kitchen, Rachel felt a tingle go through her body. That always seemed to happen whenever she saw him with his guitar. She couldn't control it. Noah pulled the chair out from the head of the table and turned so it was facing her. He sat down and leaned over to adjust his strap but the action made his scent waft around her head, mixing with the smells coming from the oven. The combination was _delectable_.

"So what are you going to play?" Noah strummed out a few chords before meeting her gaze.

"A few nights ago, I was playing around with a new melody that popped into my head and it just wasn't working out. Then I remembered you saying something about broadening my horizons and I figured that might help me be able to work the melody out. I was going for a softer sound so I started listening to some Bublé and I ended up learning one of his songs instead of finishing the one I was working on. I think you'll like this too though."

Rachel's eyes immediately went to his fingers as they began to pluck out the beginning of "Everything". It was as if he didn't even have to try. The way he played was so natural and the way he sang made her feel like the song was one of his own. The words that he sang, looking right into her eyes for every syllable, made those all too familiar knots come back. It didn't feel awkward, him singing to her in the middle of his kitchen while the lasagna he'd made for her was cooking in the oven, and she knew that with anyone else it would be nothing but awkward. Sometimes, it didn't make sense how easy it was to be with him. She'd never really had that before, and she didn't want to give it up now.

Noah sang a few more songs after that just to pass the time until dinner was ready. When he finally took the lasagna out of the oven, Rachel's mouth was watering. The top was brown and bubbling and the Italian smell filled the kitchen. Even Noah looked like he couldn't wait to cut into it. Rachel sat down to a plate full of gooey lasagna goodness and the first bite was absolute heaven. She watched Noah carefully as he took his first bite, a pleasantly surprised grin crossing his features, and then she ate some more.

"You like it," Puck ventured a guess. She was making borderline sex sounds which were simultaneously cracking him up and turning him on. She tended to make those noises during a lot of different things. It had almost become a game to him; see how many non-sexual things he could do to get Rachel to make sexual sounding noises. She made them when he did pretty much anything dealing with music. He caught her making them he when made a point in class. She even did it earlier when he was putting the lasagna together with her. It seemed like she got turned on by everything, which was pretty sweet if you asked him.

After dinner, Rachel tried to help clean up but he wouldn't let her. Puck covered the lasagna in foil and stuck it in the refrigerator. He cleaned up the kitchen and started the dishwasher before pulling Rachel into the living room.

"So," Rachel started as she curled up beside him on the couch, "what's the plan for the rest of our date?" Puck grabbed the remote and flipped the DVD player on.

"I picked out a movie I think we can both agree on." She looked up at him with curious eyes and waited for him to reveal what movie he'd chosen. "I got _Black Swan_ because it's got the dancing and stuff that you like and the crazy scratch-your-head-what-the-fuck-just-happened thriller stuff that I like. It's a win-win." Rachel smiled. Part of the preparation that her fathers insisted on for their Golden Globe parties was to watch all of the films that received nominations. She saw _Black Swan_ when it came out in theatres and thought it was incredible. The fact that Noah picked it for them to watch together was pretty cool.

Rachel curled her legs up under her and rested her head on his chest as the film began. It didn't take long for his arm to drop from her shoulder to her side. Everything was going just fine until it got to the part where Nina and Lily were in Nina's bedroom making out. Because of where her head was, Rachel could literally hear Noah's heart rate speed up as the scene unfolded. When he tried to discreetly shift in his seat, she rose up off of his chest and stared at him for just a moment. She _knew_ that look in his eyes.

"Are you seriously that easily turned on by two women kissing each other?" Noah just looked at her for a second, like he couldn't figure out if it was a rhetorical question or not.

"Yeah, it's hot." That seemed to be the only answer he deemed safe enough to give but Rachel couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"I just don't understand it. If two women are kissing, unless of course they're just friends or something, they're most likely lesbians. That means they have no interest in men. So why then do men find it 'hot' when they kiss? It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. I wouldn't get turned on by two men kissing. In fact, it would just remind me of my dads and I would want to hug and congratulate them. Enlighten me Noah. What exactly is so erotic about it?" She seemed kind of worked up about it for some reason, but he couldn't put his finger on why. Instead, he focused on trying to explain himself without getting slapped and/or ruining their date.

"Okay, imagine you're a guy. There's this chick, she's crazy hot and you want her." Rachel tried to do as she was told but she had a difficult time thinking like a guy. Finally, she settled for thinking like Santana, that was just a little easier and as close as she could get. She nodded her head for him to continue. "Now imagine that there's another chick, just as hot as the first one. If you're turned on by both of them apart, why wouldn't you be turned on by both of them _together_?" Rachel huffed and opened her eyes, taking just a moment to glance at the growing bulge in his jeans.

"Because both of them together wouldn't include me," she retorted. "It just doesn't make any sense. I could possibly understand it if they were inviting you for a threesome or something but no, in the scenario you just presented, the women seem perfectly fine without a man's presence. So why, if they would have no use for you, would it be a situation you would find appealing?" Puck rubbed his eyes with his fingers and groaned out loud. She was really gonna have to stop talking about this subject before he broke a zipper or something.

"You're just not getting it Rachel. For a guy, two hot girls making out with each other is double the pleasure. Even if they don't actually want him, getting to watch is like a little prize." Her gaze became thoughtful as she peered at him through her lashes. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, almost hesitant.

"So, if _I_ made out with a girl, would it turn you on?" She watched Noah's eyes widen.

"Is that a trick question," he asked slowly. Rachel shook her head and placed her hand on his leg.

"I really want to understand the mindset behind this. Tell me the truth." He kept his eyes on the way her hand was slowly moving back and forth on his leg. She didn't seem to care how close she was getting to the point of no return.

"Honestly, it'd make me a little worried. You're my girlfriend and if you're wanting to go off and make out with girls, I'm not doing my job. But yeah, hypothetically, it'd be hot." He took a shaky breath and looked down at her hand again. "Rach, if you keep rubbing my leg like that, I'm gonna have to take care of something." Rachel looked down, apparently noticing where her hand had taken up residence. But she didn't move it.

"Let me," she said simply. If his breathing had been shaky before, he was pretty sure his heart stopped when Rachel quickly unfastened his jeans. He dug his fingers into the couch cushion and ground his teeth together. He grew even more rigid when she wrapped her hand around the tip, swiping her thumb in a circular motion. She leaned over and pressed her mouth just under his earlobe, just letting her hand twist at his base. He let his eyes fall shut, afraid that if he watched her it'd all be over way too soon.

Puck felt her shift beside him on the couch but when her slow deliberate strokes turned into a warm wet mouth, his eyes flew open. She was bent over his lap so he couldn't actually see what she was doing but he could feel everything. Rachel took him about halfway into her mouth before backing up again. He couldn't help it when his hand carded through her hair, making sure the she couldn't take her mouth off him completely. She flicked her tongue around the head a couple of times before dragging her bottom lip along the underside of his shaft. Something about the softness of her lips coupled with the warmth of her mouth made this sound form in the back of his throat that could only be described as a wild rumbling, like a bear before he actually roars. Rachel sucked him into the back of her throat for just a teasing second and then pulled back, which made his whole body shiver. He gathered her hair in a ponytail and used it to tilt her head to the side so he could see just a little bit of the action. When she started to go back down, as he felt his cock hit the back of her throat, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye and then took him in all the way. "Holy shit, Rachel you, oh fucking hell," the words all became jumbled as her throat closed around him again and again. She wasn't letting up, swallowing until he found himself being shoved over that metaphorical edge (metaphors are important) so hard and fast that he couldn't catch his breath quick enough. Rachel just kept going, draining him dry and making his body jerk.

She stayed silent once she was sitting upright again, just a proud grin on her face. Then she turned to him, still smiling as she pulled her knee up on the couch, and said, "I still don't understand the two girls thing but I can't really disagree with things that get you that worked up." Puck returned her smile and slid his hand up her thigh until she bit her lip.

"_You_ get me worked up. You make me want to throw your legs over my shoulders and just lick until you can't see straight." Rachel shivered. She been imagining what it would feel like for some time, having his head between her legs and his tongue making good on all the filthy whispered promises he'd made to her over the phone late at night. She wanted what he offered, her body ached for it more than she wanted to admit, and his words weren't helping. "I want to taste you Rachel, feel you on my tongue when you come." Without thinking, Rachel leaned back against the arm of the couch. Her leg bent a little more, her skirt hiked up seemingly on its own, and suddenly her simple navy blue panties were the only thing separating her soaked center from Noah's hungry gaze.

"Can you do that now?" Noah seemed a little surprised by her request since it wasn't something they'd done yet. Rachel just moaned softly at his hesitance and shifted her hips. "I want all of that Noah. I want you to throw my legs over her shoulders, I want to not be able to see straight," she paused and took a breath like what she was about to say would take some effort, "I want to come on your tongue." Rachel's chest rose and fell heavily as she breathed.

"You're sure," he questioned.

"Yes," she keened.

Noah hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and gently tugged them down her legs. She knew that she looked a little nervous but she couldn't really help it. When Noah offered her a soft smile as she rolled her hips on the couch, she released a strangled sound. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers before holding up two fingers as he pulled away.

"Just fingers first okay, nothing new babe." Rachel just nodded, already somewhat out of her mind before anything had taken place, and then gasped when his forefinger lightly touched her clit. She pushed her head against the back of the couch to stifle her moans but Noah tapped on her leg with his other hand and made her turn back to him. "Talk to me Rach, let me hear you." At the exact moment Rachel tried to speak, he slid both of his fingers inside her and pressed his thumb to her clit. Whatever she'd meant to say came out as garbled gibberish as she writhed against his hand. He kept moving his fingers in and out until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Noah your mouth, please use your mouth," she whispered, unable to take in a big enough breath of air. She moaned out loud, the sound echoing in the empty house, when he dragged the tip of his tongue along her folds. He nudged her clit with his nose and her body arched away from the cushions. But when his tongue speared her, it was one of the most amazing things she'd ever felt in her life. Her body felt cold and hot at the same time. Her brain felt like it'd just been dipped in sugar and then thrown on a rollercoaster. Noah replaced his tongue with his fingers once more and sucked on the spot beside the little bundle of nerves. Rachel's eyes were open but the only things she could see were little orbs of light bouncing all over the place. What he was doing made it feel like she was on fire. She tried to speak again, to warn him that the coil was about to snap, but the only sound that came out was a low throaty growl.

It snapped. She felt the sucking sensation from his mouth again and she lost all control. All the noises and words she been trying to say burst forth in a brazen cacophony of profanity and screams. His mouth and tongue didn't cease even as her orgasm ripped through her body and against his lips. Rachel moaned as he pressed his nose to her clit one more time, causing another spurt of moisture to land on his tongue. She was lost in the moment, the afterglow, and wondering why on earth she'd been hesitant about that in the first place. It felt so good, or maybe Noah made it feel that good.

He was taking his time cleaning her up, careful to steer clear of the sensitive bud as he licked the rest of her juices from her. Rachel was just humming each time he touched her and he grinned at her sated expression.

"I never imagined something could feel like that," she giggled, fanning her hand at her flushed cheeks. Noah just smiled and wiped his chin before crawling up her body. He placed a gentle kiss to her lips but Rachel cupped his face and slipped her tongue past his lips. She could still taste herself on his tongue. It was different, and she liked it. When he pulled back, she yawned and realized how much that orgasm had taken out of her. She'd never felt that tired after taking care of her own needs before. Noah chuckled, a little proud of himself.

"You look tired." Rachel giggled and tried to push her skirt back down only to realize that Noah's hand was on her hip so it wasn't going anywhere.

"It's not that late. Do you mind if we take a nap before you have to take me home?" Noah shrugged his shoulders and grabbed her panties up from the floor to give back to her. If they were just gonna sleep, he needed her clothed so he didn't do anything that would get him in trouble. As Rachel slipped her underwear back on, he said,

"Sure. Want me to set an alarm on my phone or something so we wake up in time?" Rachel just shook her head dismissively and readjusted the couch pillows for where their heads would be.

"No that's fine, I'm sure we'll get up. It's just a nap anyway. I'm not really worried." Noah kicked his shoes off and reached for the remote to turn the movie, now just a bouncing multicolored DVD Movie logo, off and laid down on his side on the couch. Rachel laid down in front of him with her back to his chest and settled in as his arm wrapped around her stomach. Noah reached behind him and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch so it would cover them up.

When Puck pressed a drowsy kiss to her neck and realized she was already asleep, he grinned against her skin. The rolling feeling in his stomach had nothing to do with sickness.

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><p>When Sarah Puckerman walked into her house at one in the morning, the first thing she noticed was the silence. It was Friday night, technically Saturday morning, and her son always stayed up late playing video games or playing on his guitar. Point being, her home was rarely silent. But when she walked into her living room to hang her purse up on the coat rack, she noticed something else. Curled up on her couch, Noah and Rachel were sound asleep. She'd known that Noah had been planning to have Rachel over that night since he'd been very insistent that Danielle sleep over at her friend's house. He was going to cook a special dinner for her, watch a movie. She loved Rachel a little more for bringing out the romantic in her son. But, Rachel sleeping over had never been part of their deal.<p>

As she peered back at the sleeping teens, she just couldn't bring herself to wake them up. Immediately, Sarah wondered if Rachel's fathers knew where Rachel was since she'd apparently never went home. She walked into the kitchen, smiling at the fact that it was clean and for some reason Noah's guitar was sitting on the table, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

"Hello, Nathan? This is Sarah Puckerman." The man on the other line released a relieved breath. She was thankful the men were still awake at that hour.

"Sarah, I assume my daughter is still at your house?" Sarah peeked back into the living room and could hear soft snoring coming from the couch.

"Honey I just got home from work and what do I see but our kids curled up on the couch just sleeping the night away without a care in the world. It looks like they may have fallen asleep watching a movie or something. I hope you and David weren't terribly worried about her." She heard a faint chuckle in response.

"She'd told us that she might be late getting home but we rarely worry about her too much when she's out with Noah. You've got a good boy there Sarah." Sarah placed her hand over her heart and did a girlish twirl. It was silly but hearing other people say good things about her Noah just filled her heart with joy.

"Well Nathan, being that it's so late at night, I would just feel terrible about waking them up and having Noah drive Rachel all the way home. They seem to be doing just fine on the couch so I was thinking that Rachel could just stay here tonight. I mean, what could they possibly get into with me in the house?" She heard conversing in the background, as though Nathan and David were discussing the situation. Finally, Nathan came back.

"That sounds fine with us. We know that she's well taken care of over there Sarah. Thank you for calling us. Just have Noah bring her home in the morning. We should all three pretend to be mad just to mess with them for a little bit. No sense in the kids having all the fun." Sarah laughed softly, still not wanting to wake the other room's occupants.

"Nathan Berry I like the way your mind works."

**a/n2: I also have two new one-shots up, Teachers & Tutus and Better Than the Best, so if you haven't checked them out already, please do. Thanks everyone!**


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n: Hi! The response to the last chapter has me a little worried about the interest in this story but seeing as, after this chapter, the epilogue is all that's left, I can take it. First off, I want to thank (truelovepooh) for all the handholding she had to do with me in this chapter. She's been wonderful to me through the writing of this story and I'm sad that it's over. I love you bb! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. There's a flashback that I hope doesn't confuse anyone. Please review! I don't own Glee.**

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><p>She'd always imagined that she would be nervous when the day came. Nerves didn't usually show up until the last minute anyway but with something like this, losing her virginity, she'd expected a tumultuous flurry of butterflies going nonstop in the pit of her stomach. All the times in the past when she'd imagined losing it to Finn, there had been nerves, anxiety, even questioning. Even with Jesse, whom she'd truthfully considered doing it more to get it out of the way than anything, she'd been a nervous wreck staring back at herself in the mirror with a curling iron burning her hair.<p>

So of course, with Noah, Rachel had expected the exact same nerves. But she couldn't find it within herself to be anxious or fluttery. The only thing remotely close to that that she even had was this giddy happy feeling that welled up inside her each time she thought of what this night would entail. How could she not be nervous about finally have sex with her boyfriend? It just didn't make any sense in her mind. But then again, and maybe because it was completely crazy, it made perfect sense as well.

Rachel looked at him over the edge of her glass, watching him as he ate the stir fry she'd prepared. When he'd arrived earlier that evening, he'd actually scolded her for including chicken.

_"Rach is that real chicken?" The way he pointed into the wok was almost accusatory. Rachel just gave him a small smile and nodded her head._

_ "Yes, I know you don't really like tofu that much and I didn't want you to have to choke down something you don't actually want. I cooked it separately though. If you're worried about whether or not I know how to cook real meat, don't. I cook for my fathers all the time so I know what I'm doing. It's safe." Noah rolled his eyes but she stepped closer and looked up at him through her long thick lashes. "Besides, tonight is special," she whispered. He looked confused for just a moment before gently placing his hands on her shoulders._

_ "You didn't have to do that. I can eat vegetables just fine, you know that. I don't want you doing something that makes you uncomfortable because of me."_

As if her feelings had required some sort of affirmation in the first place, which they didn't, for that sentence alone Rachel knew that falling in love with him was the best thing in the world. She realized just what her feelings had grown into after hanging up with him one night. The song he'd written for her was the soundtrack to her dreams that night. It'd become the song she caught herself singing in the shower without even realizing it. It wasn't a big revelation or huge production. She just loved him, and it felt right.

The funny thing was telling him didn't seem as important as she thought it would be. When their eyes met as he reached for the soy sauce, it felt like on some level he already knew.

"So your dads left you all alone this weekend," he asked with a smirk. Rachel had been very careful with the planning of this particular date. Her dads were on their monthly bed and breakfast trip so she had the entire house to herself for the weekend, which meant Noah would be able to stay the night without any issues.

"Yes, I wanted to make sure we wouldn't have _any interruptions_ so I planned tonight's date for when I knew they would be gone." Noah arched a brow at her emphasis and shook his head with a chuckle.

After dinner, Puck was just a little surprised when Rachel took his hand and started leading him upstairs to her room. But when they were in her room, he saw that there were candles everywhere and the lights were low. It felt like the mood had just shifted and he couldn't figure out why.

"Isn't this some kind of fire hazard," he asked with a laugh. Rachel sat down on her bed and took a look around the room, shrugging her shoulders.

"I took all the necessary precautions Noah. Don't worry, I won't let anything ruin our night." Okay, she'd been talking about the night being special since he walked in the door. It wasn't really making any sense. Had he missed an anniversary or something? That seemed unlikely but he couldn't think of any other reasons as to why _this_ particular date would be so special. They were all pretty great, and he was looking forward to a few more pretty great ones, so what made this one different?

Needless to say, when she started tugging at the knot that held her little wrap-dress together, he got a lot more confused.

"Whoa Rach, what are you doing?" Her hands stopped and she looked up at him, unfazed.

"Oh I'm sorry," she stood up and walked over to him with a smile, "would you prefer to do it?" His hand instinctively started to reach for the cloth but he stopped it. He narrowed his eyes and studied her face for a second, unable to figure out what was going on.

"Not that I'm complaining but, uh, why are you trying to take your clothes off? We haven't even made out tonight or anything." Rachel's eyes widened and suddenly her arms were wrapped around his neck.

"I completely forgot about foreplay! I guess I'm just excited now." Puck's brain clouded over when her lips pressed softly to his but then a word broke through the haze. Foreplay. Foreplay? _Foreplay!_ As gently as possible, he held firm to her waist and took a step back. Her arms loosened but she kept her hands on his chest and just smiled up at him.

"What do you mean when you say _foreplay_?" Rachel's brows furrowed as she tilted her head.

"You're asking a lot of questions. Foreplay as in before sex. What else would I be talking about?" He felt his skin break out in a cold sweat at her words. Before she could kiss him again, Puck removed his hands from her body and took a couple more steps away from her. His breathing was all weird, like his throat was closing up or something. Rachel's face suddenly became worried. "Noah, what's wrong?"

"I thought you wanted to wait. We still have two dates left before this is supposed to happen." Rachel giggled like he'd just said something dumb and funny but he wasn't fucking laughing.

"Tonight was our twelfth date," she stated. When he just looked up at her with a confused expression, she took a deep breath and began to slowly walk across the room. "Do you not remember me telling you that we weren't going to sleep together until after the twelfth date?"

"Uh yeah I remember that," he snorted as he held up his hand, putting down fingers as he recounted. "First date, I took you to Paradise Found. Second date, you took me to that songwriter's showcase. Our third date, you got shot in the head during paintball. We almost got arrested in the park on the fourth date. You took me to the roller rink on our fifth date. Sixth was karaoke at the Mexican restaurant. Then I took you to the Rosenberg's house and played some of my songs for you, number seven. Eighth date we got stranded in Amish country. The ninth was last week when I cooked for you at my house and tonight is number ten. See? Two more to go!" His hands were shaking slightly as he held up all ten fingers between them. Rachel tightened her lips together like she was trying to keep from laughing again.

"You're forgetting the day I was sick and you broke into my house to bring me soup," she said as she wove her fingers between one of the hands he held up, as if using their hands together to count. Slipping her fingers into his other hand, she grinned and said, "you're also forgetting the night we went to the movies." Puck shook his head as he looked at her hands in his. He remembered those nights just fine.

"We had to cancel our date the night you got sick and my sister was with us when we went to the movies. On what planet would those count as dates?" Her mouth tightened again but it had nothing to with laughter as she dropped his hands and walked back over to her bed.

"_My_ planet, that's where. Even though we canceled our original plans for a date, you still came over to my house, we had a meal together, you took care of me. And I didn't see any problems that arose from your sister accompanying us to the theatre. Those two counted to _me_, which means that tonight was our twelfth date." Puck could tell from the new edge in her voice that he was in trouble but he couldn't help himself as he muttered,

"I still say we have two more." Of course, being that he was only a few feet away from her and he couldn't really mutter all that great, Rachel heard him.

"Is there something wrong with me then? Is there some reason why we can do everything else without difficulty but this is a step you seem so adamant in not taking? Tell me the truth because I'm very interested to know why the one and only _Noah Puckerman_ is suddenly so against having sex." He saw the lip quiver she tried to hide as she sat back down on her bed. Shit.

"Rachel that's not it." When she turned her head the other direction, he was beside her in a flash. "Hey look at me, you're perfect. I'm just surprised I guess. We counted different, I totally thought there was more time and you just caught me off-guard. Babe, this is your first time. I want to make it good for you and I just wasn't expecting this to happen tonight. I'm sorry." Puck slipped his hand into her hair and gave her a gentle smile. She leaned into his body as he kissed her full on the mouth.

It wasn't until he was staring down at her, lying naked against her pillows, that his brain started to go into hyper-speed. Puck had literally spent nights lying awake and hard just thinking about this night. He couldn't believe it. He'd finally made it to the twelfth date, and it was coming as a total surprise! This little niggling feeling in the back of his mind started getting louder each time her hands would pass over his torso. What if she hated it? What if it was his fault that her first time sucked? He wasn't prepared. Puck tried to shake himself out of it. He was a fucking sex shark, there was no way he could screw this up.

But then, Rachel brought her hand down across her breast, plucking at her pebbled nipple before continuing down. The heat below his stomach felt like it was going to burn him from the inside out, and not in a good way. Rachel spread her legs just a little wider as he moved closer. The gasp she made when he slipped inside her made him look up. His breath quickened and he tried to breathe through his nose but she was just so tight, and hot, and beautiful, and wet, perfect. Puck thought he had everything under control until Rachel unintentionally tightened up as he was trying to slowly pull out. She made this airy whimper followed by a moan that he'd never heard from her before and suddenly everything was _too_ tight, _too_ warm, _too_ perfect, and too…no no no _no_ _no_ _no_! NO!

Rachel was still so focused on the feel of his body against her, the stretch she felt from the way he filled her, the way her breath hitched every time she tried to exhale, that it took her just a second before she registered that Noah was no longer moving. Then she realized what the swell she'd felt had actually been.

He was staring down at where their bodies were still joined with the most murderous look on his face. His nostrils were flared and suddenly he pulled completely out before she could say anything. The empty feeling caught her by surprise but she was suddenly more worried about her boyfriend now sitting with his shoulders hunched over on the side of her bed.

"Noah, are you okay," she asked tentatively, placing her hand on his shoulder. He growled and tried to shrug her off, vaguely reminding her of when Belle tried to nurse the Beast's wounds and he wouldn't let her, but she pulled her sheet up around her body and sat down next to him. "I've heard it happens to a lot of guys," she offered. Noah just released a grim chuckle and turned his face towards her. She recognized the disappointment in his eyes and it made her just a little sad for him.

"It doesn't fucking happen to me," he snarled. "It's _never_ happened to me before. I'm supposed to know what the hell I'm doing. Not like I'm some thirteen year old kid seeing a Playboy for the first time. This is not how this was supposed to happen. Finn has the mailman problem, not me! I don't fucking believe this!" Rachel watched somewhat helpless as he jerked his boxers on, continuing to berate himself under his breath for coming early. She knew that it was a big deal for guys but she honestly couldn't care less. How long he lasted, what positions they tried, how many orgasms she had, all of that paled in comparison to the fact that she just wanted to finally have sex with the boy she was in love with.

"We could wait a little while and try again if you think that might help." He took a deep breath before shaking his head and searching the floor for his jeans.

"Pretty sure I've messed up the mood enough for tonight." Rachel started to say that they'd never had a 'mood' problem before but from the look on his face she was positive that nothing she could possibly say would make him feel any better. "I think I should go home." She really hated the harsh defeated sound in his voice. It just didn't sound right.

"Oh, okay." Noah forced his arms through the sleeves of his shirt and walked back over to the bed. He pressed his forehead to hers, slowly brushing the tip of his nose across hers, before whispering against her lips,

"I'm _so_ sorry."

By the time she opened her eyes, she could hear the door downstairs slamming behind him. What she didn't hear was his frustrated scream once he'd slammed the door of his truck outside.

In all the scenarios that had played in her mind, this was certainly not how she'd pictured this night going. Perhaps Santana would know what to do.

* * *

><p>Santana heard the knock on her front door and had a pretty good idea who it was. She paused the episode of <em>The Vampire Diaries<em> she was watching with a groan. Tyler and Caroline were finally about to fuck. People needed to learn not to interrupt shit. Her dad was in his office and her mom was out shopping so Santana got up from the couch and padded to the door.

After talking to Rachel the night before, she'd honestly expected Puck to show up at her door eventually. She just didn't expect him to show up looking so damn horrible. She stepped to the side to let him in and motioned up the stairs.

"Come on dude." His heavy footsteps followed her into her bedroom, finally sinking into her vanity chair as she curled her legs up under her on her bed. "So, what's with you?" Puck glared at her.

"Don't even pretend like you don't know," he snapped. Santana just shrugged her shoulders.

"I know what Rach told me, which honestly wasn't that much. She was worried about you though, about the way you left apparently. Why don't you tell Auntie 'Tana what happened." That earned her another glare but he took a deep breath and turned the chair around so he was facing her.

"We had a date last night. I went over to her house, she made dinner. Everything was going fine. And then we go up to her room and all these candles are everywhere. Then Rachel started taking her clothes off which _never_ fucking happens, at least not without me getting her going first. Apparently, me and her have different ideas about what a date is so I was off by like two and her whole twelve date rule was ending right then! I freaked out, which doesn't make any sense at all, that hurt her feelings. She started asking if something was wrong with her because I wasn't just jumping at the chance to sleep with her." Santana started laughing at that. The only thing wrong with Rachel was the fact that her self-esteem was nowhere near where it should be. Santana knew that she was somewhat to blame for that but she was trying to help fix that one day at a time.

"So what happened after that?" Puck growled and she knew why he didn't want to say anything else. She knew that it hadn't bothered Rachel but Puck was obviously distraught over his sudden Cinco de Mayo issue. Santana waited for him to speak but he grit his teeth and crossed his arms, wordlessly refusing to say anything more. "Look dude, Rachel's really understanding about things. Like, _really_ understanding. Trust me on this."

Puck eyed his friend warily. Something about the way she said that, like it was personal or something, didn't sit well with him. How was that possible?

"What are you talking about," he asked carefully. Santana grabbed one of the decorative pillows on her bed, fingering the tassels for a few seconds before she looked back at him.

"Alright, but before I tell you, just remember that you guys weren't together yet. At the time, I was still hopelessly trying to get over Brit. I went to a party one night and she was there with Artie and just seeing them together, I couldn't handle it. I got pissed off and you know that when I get pissed, I get drunk. So that's what I did. I got drunk off my ass actually. Me and Rach had like just started hanging out so I'm not even sure why I called her to pick me up but I did. I didn't want to go home because my parents would've realized I was drunk. So Rachel took me home with her. Next thing I know, I'm crying like a little bitch about how nobody would ever love me or some shit and she just told me that I was beautiful and that she loved me…"

_ "You love me," Santana asked, trying to wipe the tears and mascara off of her cheeks. Rachel gave her a soft smile and nodded her head, reaching over to her bedside table to get the box of tissues for the crying girl._

_ "Of course I do Santana. You're beautiful, intelligent, and frankly your confidence is just one of the many things about you that I find quite attractive. Any person, man or woman, would be lucky to have you. You can be a very wonderful person when you want to be. I mean just look at how close we've become lately. I'm not exactly on the popular side of, well of anything but once you looked past that and allowed yourself to see how great I can be when given the chance, you embraced me as a friend and I'm very thankful for that. So yes Santana, I love you very much." Santana could only stare at her blankly for a moment, her alcohol-addled mind taking a bit longer than usual to comprehend what the girl had just said. But once it all sank in, she sniffed._

_ "Nobody's ever said anything like that to me before." Rachel offered an apologetic shrug of her shoulders and replied,_

_ "Well, we're young. Just give it time and one day everyone who knows you will realize how amazing you are. That's what I tell my—"_

_ But Rachel didn't get to finish her sentence. She was cut off by the light, almost hesitant kiss that Santana had leaned forward to place on her lips. Santana pulled back, expecting to see anger or shock, but all that she saw in Rachel's brown eyes was compassion. That was all she really wanted, all she needed at the moment. Santana moved closer again, pressing her lips against Rachel's harder than before. She let her tongue drag across Rachel's bottom lip, liking the way the girl sounded when she whimpered. But she was shocked as shit when Rachel opened her mouth to allow her to slip her tongue against hers. Suddenly, the smaller girl was kissing her back the same way she did everything else in her life. Really fucking good._

_ Santana added a little more pressure, pushing Rachel back on the bed so she could situate herself beside her. It was like they both knew that nothing would go any further than what they were already doing and that made Santana feel something she hadn't felt in a long time. Trust._

_ Rachel giggled as she nipped at Santana's bottom lip but then went back to the slow sensual kiss from before. It was nice. It all felt really good._

_ Santana wasn't stupid. She knew that everything Rachel was doing was turning her on. Come on, her fucking legs alone had come up in more than a couple drunken confessions between herself and Puck. But it was a completely physical arousal. She loved Rachel, but not the same way that she loved Brittany._

_ After a while, Santana pulled away from Rachel's mouth but pushed her head into the crook of the girl's neck because she wasn't completely ready to give up contact just yet. She placed a few innocent kisses just below Rachel's earlobe before she heard her breathing even out. Rachel was sound asleep. Santana pulled away as slowly as she could, trying not to wake her up as she sat on top of the bed._

_ Looking back at Rachel, Santana realized that she'd never had a friend like her before. Now that she had her, losing her wasn't an option. Placing another quick peck to Rachel's lips, grinning when Rachel's mouth became a sleepy smile, she turned the bedside lamp off and tugged the blanket up around them before snuggling up closer to her best friend._

"When I woke up the next morning, there was a bottle of water and two Advil waiting for me on the table. She'd even prepared a bath for me and found some clothes that I could wear. When we went downstairs to find some food that wouldn't make me want to hurl, I asked her why she didn't stop me. Rachel told me that stopping me wouldn't have helped anything. She said that I needed to know that I was deeply cared for and that her pulling away would've only made me feel rejected all over again. And that comfort is different for different people so because I seem to associate comfort with sex, it made sense that she could comfort me that way." Santana laughed softly and tossed her pillow back against her headboard. "I tried to apologize for pretty much attacking her but she wouldn't listen to me. I believe her exact words were 'I've kissed a gay boy before. Why not kiss a gay girl too? It keeps everything balanced. Besides, it will be perfect to use in my memoirs when I recount my first experience with girl-on-girl action.' I was actually just relieved that I hadn't lost another friend over stuff like that so I dropped it." Puck looked like he was thinking really hard about something but Santana knew better. He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off. "No _pendejo_, I did not have sex with your girlfriend. I knew that when I said that, your damn boy brain was going to shut down. Fucking Y chromosome."

Puck threw his hands up in the air and rolled backwards in the chair. "Hey I couldn't help it. You're talking about making out with Rachel, you say the words 'sex' and 'girl-on-girl'. Give me a break San." Santana just shook her head. He was so hopeless.

"Whatever. So what actually made you have a little Cinco de Mayo mishap anyway?" Puck hung his head again, once more looking defeated as he took a deep breath.

"It wasn't just a little Cinco de Mayo problem. I pulled a fucking Finn! I got nervous, and I just kept thinking that I wanted to make it perfect for her. And then when I was actually inside her, everything just felt so different and perfect. And the next thing I knew, I blew my load! You have no idea how pissed I am at myself over this Santana. I ruined Rachel's first time." Santana rolled her eyes at the dumb boy across the room.

"Okay dude, first off, I've had sex with Finn and I've had sex with you. There is no way in hell that you were _that_ bad. But it makes sense you know. Sex is always different when you're in love with the person." She paused, both of them realizing what she'd just said, and looked at the way Puck's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Holy shit, you _are_ in love with her! I knew it! Kurt owes me fifty bucks." Puck immediately got up and stomped around the bed.

"Shut up!" Santana just laughed at his outburst. Everything made so much sense now.

"You're not denying it," she stated in a sing-song voice with an evil smirk.

"So what. I'm in love with Rachel. But after I practically ran out on her last night, I wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to see me again." Again, Santana rolled her eyes. Boys were so _stupid_. Girls were definitely a better choice.

"Believe me Puck, she wants to see you. So you need to pick your balls up off the floor, man the fuck up and tell that girl how you feel! Rachel deserves the best and she thinks that's you. Now either you go be a good boyfriend and show her how great sex is or I'll do it for you." That seemed to wake him up. He glared again, shaking his head.

"Hey fuck you Lopez! Stay away from my girl. The last thing I need is her realizing that your 'lady loving girl time' is fun. Shut up," he yelled. Santana couldn't help herself as she laughed at her flustered friend. He was too easy.

"I'll be more than happy to shut up if you tell Rachel everything. Tell her about being nervous, why you came early, how beautiful you thought she was, and then why you left. And then, you're gonna tell her that you're head over ass in love with her. Get on your knees if you have to, I don't care. Rachel isn't pissed at you, she's worried about you. So you need to get your ass over to her house and prove to her that this twelve date bullshit has all been worth it."

Puck didn't have to say thank you. The hug he gave her right before he bolted out of her room was thanks enough. Now that her friends weren't being as stupid anymore, Santana walked back down the stairs intent on finishing her _Vampire Diaries_ before she had to start getting ready for her date. The tall leggy red head she'd met at one of Mike's parties was certainly promising.

* * *

><p>He wasn't really sure how many traffic violations he piled up getting across town to Rachel's house but he didn't really give a shit. Which is exactly what he told the cop that pulled him over for speeding through a red light. Seeing the look on the officer's face when he told him that yes he knew how fast he was going but he didn't care because he was on his way to tell his girlfriend that he was in love with her was totally worth the ticket he ended up with.<p>

He turned into her driveway on two wheels and jumped out of the truck, running across her lawn to the porch. Not bothering with the doorbell, Puck just started banging on the door. When she opened it, wearing nothing but a tank top and tiny little red shorts, he rushed her. Rachel threaded her fingers through his hair as he held her against the foyer wall with his mouth fused to hers. She moaned and tugged on his hair. God that felt good when she did that. He pulled away to catch his breath while Rachel leaned her head back against the wall. She breathed heavily through her nose and stared at him for a second.

"I was really worried about you," she whispered, "when you left yesterday. Are you okay now?" It was amazing. The way he'd left things and she was asking if he was okay. He couldn't believe how lucky he was.

"I think so." He moved and sat down on the stairs. Rachel stayed leaning against the wall. "About yesterday, I'm really sorry. I never get nervous about stuff like that and when I got nervous with you, it all kind of took me by surprise. It was your first time and I thought that I could make it amazing for you because you deserve that. But then when it was all actually happening and you just looked so beautiful, I couldn't stop. After that, I just got so pissed and disappointed in myself because it just felt like I'd ruined everything for you and I hated that. Then I made it worse by leaving." Rachel walked over and sat down on the step beside him. When she placed her cheek on his shoulder, he looked down at her.

"Can I tell you something," Rachel asked. Puck made an 'mmhmm' sound and she continued. "Aside from the part where you got angry and left, I was enjoying my first time. You were gentle, and sweet, and I felt like I was special to you. I don't care that you finished early. And you didn't ruin it for me. I was excited about finally being with you. That was what I wanted." Puck smiled softly at her and slipped his hand into hers.

"You're always special to me. I love you Rachel."

Upstairs, Puck took his time, undressing her one article of clothing at a time. This time, it was for real and he was going to make sure it was incredible. She was still beautiful, it still felt perfect when he was sheathed inside her, it even felt like too much again. But the difference this time, he knew he was in love with her so, suddenly too much felt just right.

Rachel looked over at him after catching her breath, a wide bright smile on her face, and ran her nails lightly across his chest, across the dark pink marks she'd made earlier. His pectoral muscles twitched under her fingertips which made her giggle.

"I take back what I said before," she declared. Puck propped himself up on his elbows and arched a dark brow high. "Apparently, it _is_ possible for an eighteen year old to be a sex god." He thought back to their very first date, when she'd sat across the table and told him that he was unrealistic for calling himself by such a lofty title. Okay, so he was paraphrasing the memory but he could be pretty sure that the words had gone through her head at the time so whatever. He grinned at the memory again. It was kind of nice to be proven right.

"Damn straight," he answered, laughing at her happy expression.

"Except now, I face a dilemma. I'm afraid that if I tell you that I'm in love with you now, you're just going to think it's because of the sex. What do you think I should do?" It sunk in, what she just said, and it almost seemed like the room got lighter in a split second.

"Oh I think you should tell me now. Definitely tell me now." She climbed over on top of him, still naked, and took a deep breath. In the same self-assured voice she used in class when she knew she was right about something, Rachel said,

"I love you Noah." Puck felt his chest swell a little bit hearing her say that.

What a difference twelve dates could make.

_**On to the Epilogue!**_


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Rachel took a deep breath as she shut her car engine off. Throughout her entire dance class, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was forgetting something. It had completely messed with her focus, she missed half of her cues, and she left feeling like a hopeless beginner. It was ridiculous. The teacher actually took her off to the side to ask if she was feeling okay. It was humiliating.

The fact that she just couldn't figure out what she'd forgotten was the most annoying thing on the planet. She got out and slammed her door, electing to leave her dance bag in the car for now, and stalked up the porch steps to her front door. Rachel just wanted to take a shower and then a nap, and hopefully remember whatever it was that kept escaping her mind.

Her bedroom door was closed, which was odd because she usually left it open, so she opened it and walked in. The sight of her boyfriend stretched out on her bed was a complete surprise.

"Hey baby, I was starting to wonder when you were coming home." Rachel shot a surreptitious glance towards the window and saw that it was closed.

"Did you break in again," she questioned. She didn't miss the guilty look on his face and the pucker of his lips as he contemplated whether or not to tell the truth.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's not breaking and entering if you know where the spare key is? Unlawful entry maybe, but totally not a B&E." Rachel couldn't help snickering at him as she crossed the room to situate herself over his waist.

"Well since you're already here, I guess I won't alert the authorities. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening?" His smirk suddenly fell, replaced with close-knit brows and a frown.

"Did you seriously forget," he asked, an almost harsh edge to his voice. When his question was met with a confused guilty look from her, he rolled his eyes. "You're telling me that you've been nagging me for three weeks about this and _you_ forgot? Seriously?" Rachel tried to remember 'nagging' Noah about anything but nothing was ringing any bells.

"Noah, what are you talking about?" She moved off of his lap as he sat up on the bed and swung his legs over the side.

"Tonight is our sixth month anniversary. You haven't shut up about it for weeks and you _forgot_. I made reservations at Paradise Found because that's where we went for our first date. I was gonna be here when you got home so I could whisk you away and be all romantic and shit. I can't believe you didn't remember." Rachel clamped her hand over her mouth with a gasp.

"Oh my god Noah I'm so sorry. I've had a lot on my mind lately with Nationals coming up and my dance class's recital. I can't believe I forgot that. Honestly, I am so sorry." Noah just shook his head with an airy chuckle and sat back down.

"You know it's really hard to be upset at you when you look like that. But it still can't believe you forgot about it." Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"Okay, just let me take a quick shower and get dressed then I'll be ready for you to whisk me away." He grabbed her hand before she could hop off the bed and swiped his tongue across the seam of her lips. She kissed him back and then got up, shedding her pink leotard on the way to her bathroom.

Puck laid back down on her bed, laughing as "My Chick Bad" starting playing loudly from the bathroom. He still thought it was hilarious that Rachel had a thing for dancing to rap music whenever she was in the shower. But then his smile fell. She was in the shower. Dancing. Naked. Barely ten feet away.

Fuck dinner. Puck shed his clothes in record time and silently opened the bathroom door. He could see the outline of her body through the sheer curtain as she moved to the beat of the song. God why did she have to be so fucking amazing?

He heard her gasp and knew he'd been caught. Rachel poked her head out from behind the shower curtain and eyed him warily. "Noah, is there a reason you're naked in my bathroom?" He gestured towards the shower and smirked.

"Same reason you're naked in your bathroom." He opened the opposite end of the shower curtain and stepped in behind her. Rachel turned around and crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side.

"Last time we tried this, you slipped and fell." Puck laughed, recalling the incident in question.

"So? You fell on me and we still fucked in the shower." Rachel blushed as he stepped closer so he could pull her arms away from her body. Puck grinned down at her and pushed her back under the spray. She gasped when her back hit the cold tile and then again when he lips crashed down on hers.

Rachel felt her eyes roll back just a little when his fingers caressed her folds. When he slowly slipped two fingers inside her, she hummed in anticipation. He licked a trail of water from the hollow of her throat to her pulse and she moaned softly. She could feel him pressing against her inner thigh and it made her get impatient. Everything she wanted was so close to exactly where she wanted it and he just wouldn't play nice.

"Come on Noah, I don't want your fingers anymore," she growled against his collarbone. Noah nipped at her shoulder as his chuckle vibrated against her skin.

"Then tell me what you want Rach," he rasped. Her body shivered at the sound of his voice. Finding words however never seemed to be her strong suit when he had her in these positions. Her mind always acted as though language never existed, just fleeting pornographic images. So, instead of answering him, she reached down and started to stroke him to get her point across. Feeling bold, Rachel shifted her weight to one foot and situated her leg in the crook of Noah's arm. When he sank into her, she arched her back and used their position to take him deeper. "Fucking yes Rachel," he ground out.

Her language came back but only in a series of random vowels. She moved her body faster with his, spilling the only letters of his name she possessed at the moment, "o-a", and relished the tingling that was starting to spread throughout her body. For a sixth month anniversary that she'd forgotten about, this was a _really_ good one.

Even if they missed their reservation for dinner.

_**-fin-**_

**I can't thank you all enough for taking this journey with me. I've had so much fun writing this story, despite the moments where my muse was a bitch and wouldn't play nice. I hope you've had as much fun reading as I've had writing. You're all so sweet to me. I'm currently working on two one-shots and mapping out my next multichapter, which will be an A/U story, so you're not getting rid of me just yet. Thank you all for the continuing support. You'll never know just how much it means to me. Hearts!**

**Meagan (musicconsumes)**


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